Olzhas Bektenov kept his job as Kazakhstan’s prime minister, and most of the people around him kept theirs too. The cabinet, finished on September 3, is the first formed under the country’s new one-chamber parliament, the Kurultai.
The Kurultai began work on August 28. It has 145 members and replaces the old Senate and Mazhilis, ending more than 30 years of two chambers. Aibek Dadebay was elected its first chairman. The government resigned the same day, and ministers stayed on in an acting capacity while the new lineup came together. On August 31 the Kurultai approved Bektenov as prime minister with 137 votes. Seven lawmakers abstained and none voted against.
Who stayed
The economic team is intact. Nurlybek Nalibayev remains first deputy prime minister. Serik Zhumangarin keeps his two posts as deputy prime minister and national economy minister, and Kanat Bozumbayev stays as deputy prime minister. Zhaslan Madiyev holds both a deputy premiership and the artificial intelligence and digital development ministry. Madi Takiyev stays at Finance, Yersayin Nagaspayev at Industry and Construction, Arman Shakkaliyev at Trade and Integration.
Yerlan Akkenzhenov remains energy minister. His sector had a rough year: in 2026, exports through the Caspian Pipeline Consortium, the main route carrying Kazakh oil through Russia to the Black Sea, were disrupted repeatedly. Astana is trying to add other export routes, expand refining and bring new energy capacity online.
Nurlan Sauranbayev still oversees transport. He joined the government in 2025 after four years running the national railway company, Kazakhstan Temir Zholy. Aidarbek Saparov stays at Agriculture. Nurzhan Nurzhigitov keeps Water Resources and Irrigation, a ministry that handles transboundary water, one of Central Asia’s touchiest regional problems.
Galymzhan Koishybayev remains deputy prime minister and head of the government’s staff, as he has since January 2023. The security ministries did not change hands: Dauren Kosanov at Defense, Yerzhan Sadenov at Interior, Yerlan Sarsembayev at Justice.
Who changed
The biggest name came a day before the rest. On September 2, Mukhtar Tleuberdi returned as foreign minister, a job he held from 2019 to 2023, including the first year after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. He spent the last three years as ambassador to Austria and at international organizations in Vienna. He replaces Yermek Kosherbayev, who lasted less than a year. Tleuberdi takes over as Kazakhstan deepens economic ties with China, talks with the United States and European Union about critical minerals, and looks for more oil export routes while keeping close relations with Russia.
Arman Kyrykbayev is the new minister of culture and information. He had been a presidential aide for domestic policy and communications, and earlier headed the Khabar television channel. He replaces Aida Balayeva, who moved up to deputy chair of the Security Council.
Alibek Kuantyrov is back as minister of ecology and natural resources; he once led the Ministry of National Economy and later served as deputy foreign minister. Murat Mukhanov takes emergency situations from Chingis Arinov. Mukhanov previously ran the emergency department in the Mangystau Region.
