The National Assembly has approved the appointment of Naphtaly Kipchirchir Rono as the Director General of the Financial Reporting Centre (FRC), Kenya’s primary agency mandated to combat money laundering and terrorism financing.

Rono, a career intelligence officer and legal professional, was nominated on December 8 2025 by Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi to succeed outgoing Director General Saitoti Maika. He appeared before the National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Finance and National Planning on February 2 2026 for approval hearings, following a delay caused by the parliamentary recess.

He brings over two decades of experience in intelligence and public service, having served at the National Intelligence Service (NIS) as Deputy Director of Counterintelligence and Head of Legal Affairs, where he oversaw constitutional compliance and provided strategic legal guidance on national security operations. He also previously served as a Commissioner at the National Police Service Commission (NPSC), chairing the Appeals, Policy and Legal Affairs Committee, and was a member of the 2015 Presidential Task Force on the review of the legal, policy and institutional framework for fighting corruption. In addition, Rono participated in multi-agency efforts to align Kenya’s anti-money laundering regime with Financial Action Task Force (FATF) standards.

At the FRC, he is expected to improve oversight of illicit financial flows, strengthen compliance with international anti-money laundering standards, and boost the country’s ability to combat the financing of terrorism.

Rono, an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya, holds a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from the University of Nairobi and a Master of Laws (LLM) specialising in International Financial Law and Regulation.