Turkestan Region: New Akim Chosen, Former Receives New Position

Darkhan Satybaldy has stepped down as the head of Kazakhstan's Turkestan region to take on a new role as first deputy head of the presidential administration, reports Orda.kz.
Nuralkhan Kusherov has become his successor.
Satybaldy, who has led the region since August 2022, brings a diverse background to his new position.
Born in 1974 in the village of Abay in Saryagash district, he previously served as Shymkent's akim, a senator, and Kazakhstan's ambassador to Uzbekistan. The official speaks Kazakh, Uzbek, Russian, and English, holds a doctorate in economics, and is married with four children.
However, his tenure as regional head was not without controversy.
In June 2023, he faced public criticism after complaints about poor conditions and food quality in private children's camps, despite video evidence shared on social media showing children's grievances.
His response that inspections found no violations left parents dissatisfied.
Meanwhile, his brothers' companies — Fitness Palace, Nomad Stroy Company, and SAT-NS — were scrutinized for alleged tax evasion.
When asked by journalists, Satybaldy maintained that while his brothers had been in business since the 1990s, they had agreed not to bid for contracts in the Turkestan region during his leadership.
The regional head also faced an incident where farmers were filmed kneeling and addressing him with, "Oh, my khan!"
Satybaldy later explained that the farmers sought his intervention over the drop in cotton prices and that he had successfully negotiated higher advance payments from processing companies.
Original Author: Ruslan Loginov
Latest news
- Thermal Power Plant Projects: Kazakhstan Looking for Alternatives for Russian Contractors
- Shymkent Theater Officials Accused of Embezzling Over 136 Million Tenge
- Ashgabat Responds to Media Report on Internet Access
- Rare Glimpse: Red-Listed Lynx and Secretive Badgers Filmed in the Wild
- Kairat Forward Becomes Youngest Kazakhstani to Score in Champions League
- Orda's Editor-in-Chief Targeted in Questionable Ownership Maneuver
- Businessman Tried to "Push Through" Astana Boiler House Project with a Bribe
- Foreigners Coming to Uzbekistan for Work Will Be Required to Take an HIV Test
- Toqayev Appoints New Director to Reorganized Anti-Corruption Body
- Former Employees of Key Witness Testify in Sarbasov Trial
- Kazakhstan Plans to Launch Direct Flights to New York, Tokyo, and Singapore
- Kazakhstan Expects Minimal Impact from U.S. Tariffs, Trade Ministry Says
- Hemp to Be Cultivated in Northern Kazakhstan for Industrial Use
- Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan Sign Series of Cooperation Agreements After High-Level Talks
- Vostokmashzavod Disputes Railcar Downtime Charges from KTZ-Freight
- Alik Aidarbayev Appointed General Director of Kalamkas-Khazar Operating
- Trump’s Tariff: Experts Weigh In on Kazakhstan’s Possible Response
- Kazakhstan Meat Cleared for European Market
- Journalist Lukpan Akhmedyarov Reports New Wave of Pressure
- Modernization of Syrym Checkpoint Promises Smoother Border Crossings, Orda.kz Talked with Drivers about Current Situation