Prabowo Names Kristomei Sianturi as New BNPB Chief

President Prabowo Subianto has sworn in Lt. Gen. Kristomei Sianturi as chief of the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), replacing Lt. Gen. Suharyanto. The ceremony, described as the eighth reshuffle of the Red and White Cabinet, was held at the State Palace in Jakarta on Thursday afternoon (10/15/2026), alongside six other new officials.

The BNPB leadership change comes just one day after the Corruption Eradiction Commission (KPK) named five suspects in an alleged corruption case involving the agency's ready-to-use disaster fund (Dana Siap Pakai, DSP). One of the suspects, Bima Setyawan, is reportedly the younger brother of the former BNPB chief, Suharyanto.

Kristomei Sianturi's Track Record Before Leading BNPB

Before being appointed BNPB chief, Kristomei served as commander of Military Regional Command (Pangdam) XXI/Radin Inten, which oversees the provinces of Lampung and Bengkulu. The senior Indonesian Army officer also previously headed the TNI Information Center (Kapuspen TNI) and the Army Information Service (Kadispenad).

His background in public information and communications is seen as a key asset in leading a disaster management agency, which demands speed and clarity of information to the public when disasters strike.

Eighth Cabinet Reshuffle: Seven New Officials Sworn In

At the same ceremony, Prabowo also swore in several deputy ministers and agency heads. They include Air Marshal Yusuf Jauhari as deputy defense minister for logistics, defense industry, and technology; Gen. Richard Taruli Horja Tampubolon as deputy defense minister for strategy, doctrine, and force development; and Dr. Alim Setiawan Slamet as deputy agriculture minister.

The other three officials are M. Maulana Bungaran as deputy minister of immigration and correctional affairs, Prof. Dr. Satyawan Pudyatmoko as head of the Peatland and Mangrove Management Agency (BPGMN), and Kristomei Sianturi as BNPB chief.

Army Chief of Staff Also Changes Hands in Reshuffle

Separately, the same reshuffle saw Prabowo shake up the top leadership of the Indonesian Army. Gen. Tandyo Budi Revita, previously deputy commander of the TNI, was sworn in as Army Chief of Staff (KSAD), replacing Maruli Simanjuntak. Maruli in turn took the deputy TNI commander post left by Tandyo.

The replacement of the BNPB chief amid scrutiny over alleged corruption in the disaster fund has drawn public attention, given that the agency manages emergency response funds for disaster handling across Indonesia.

The simultaneous swearing-in of seven officials marks the eighth cabinet shake-up since Prabowo took office. Meanwhile, the KPK's investigation into the alleged corruption involving BNPB's ready-to-use disaster fund continues, with five suspects already named.