12 Facts About Oljas Bektenov

Oljas Abaiuly Bektenov is a Kazakh politician who has served as the prime minister of Kazakhstan since 2024.

Oljas Bektenov began his tenure as the chief specialist at the Department of Justice of Almaty from 2002 to 2005, before ultimately becoming an expert and then the chief expert of the legal department at the Office of the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan from 2005 to 2006.

Oljas Bektenov served in the Presidential Administration under Nursultan Nazarbayev from 2006 to 2009, and was deputy chairman of the Committee for Registration Service and Legal Assistance at the Ministry of Justice from 2009 to 2012.

Oljas Bektenov served as the Head of department at the central office of the Agency for Combating Economic and Corruption Crimes of Kazakhstan from 2012 to 2014, then as Chief of Staff of the Astana City Akimat from July 2015, and later as head of the Secretariat of the Chief of Staff of the Presidential Administration.

In recognition of his service and leadership, Oljas Bektenov was appointed as the Deputy Chairman of the Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan for Civil Service Affairs and Anti-Corruption on 1 June 2018.

Oljas Bektenov served in this role for a year, before being dismissed on 20 June 2019.

Shortly thereafter, Oljas Bektenov was transferred to the position of First Deputy Chairman, on 26 June 2019.

On 25 February 2022, Oljas Bektenov assumed the chairmanship of the Anti-Corruption Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Oljas Bektenov's appointment followed the January 2022 unrest, during which Antikor, under Bektenov's guidance, investigated the financial dealings of former President Nursultan Nazarbayev's relatives.

In December 2022, Oljas Bektenov met with Charles Duchaine, the director of the French Anti-Corruption Agency, in Paris, where they signed a memorandum of cooperation, aimed at preventing and combating corruption.

On 3 April 2023, Oljas Bektenov became the Chief of Staff of the Presidential Administration of Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

One of the first major challenges that the Oljas Bektenov Government faced were the 2024 Central Asian floods that broke out in 10 different Kazakh regions.