The Hon. James Opiyo Wandayi, EGH, is the Cabinet Secretary for Energy and Petroleum. He was appointed in  July 2024, following reorganization of Government. Prior to his appointment to the Cabinet, Mr Wandayi was serving a third term as the Member of Parliament for Ugunja Constituency. He was also Leader of the Minority Party in the National Assembly.
In the National Assembly, Mr. Wandayi had also served as the Chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) from 2017 - 2022.  During his tenure, he provided leadership in interrogating the National Government, the Judiciary, Constitutional Commissions and Independent Offices over prudent use of public funds. He played a crucial role in holding the government and public institutions accountable in their financial operations to ensure value for money for Government Projects, Programs and Service Delivery. 
During the same period, Mr. Wandayi also served as the Secretary-General of the African Organization of Public Accounts Committees (AFROPAC), a Pan-African institution that advocates for accountability and good governance.Until his appointment as CS, Mr. Wandayi, a Social Democrat, was the Secretary for Political Affairs for the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) where he had held the position since 2014. He also served as the Second Deputy Secretary-General of the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party.
In recognition of his outstanding work and contribution to the country, he was awarded with the Elder of the Order of the Golden Heart (E.G.H), Moran of the Order of the Golden Heart (M.G.H) and 1st Class Chief of the Order of the Burning Spear (C.B.S).
Prior to joining elective politics, Mr. Wandayi had acquired extensive experience in strategic and operational management, and people leadership within a multinational business environment. Between 1998 and 2012, he held core management positions in the private sector within and outside Kenya – the last being Leaf Business Sustainability Manager responsible for Uganda and DRC at British American Tobacco. In these roles, he developed and implemented strategic engagements and communication with governments, the media and other stakeholders for successful execution of business plans. He inspired teams of people of diverse backgrounds and orientation to consistently deliver on key business objectives.
Mr. Wandayi holds a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture, specializing in Agricultural Economics from the University of Nairobi (UoN) and a Bachelor of Laws Degree from Daystar University. In addition, he holds a Diploma in Business Management from the Kenya Institute of Management (KIM).