Kazakhstan's agricultural sector has for years been cultivating not only crops but also new surnames in power – often with a well-known pedigree. Aisultan Seipelov, son of the Minister of Agriculture Aidarbek Saparov, who previously managed his mother's farm for six years, has now been appointed Deputy Akim of the Shortandy District in the Akmola Region.
WHO THE NEW DEPUTY AKIM WAS BEFORE HIS APPOINTMENT
Aisultan Seipelov was born on 26 August 1995 in the village of Krasnoye, Magzhan Zhumabaev District, North Kazakhstan Region – the same area where his family's agribusiness is concentrated. In 2018, he graduated from a Canadian university with a degree in World Economics, and in 2022, he graduated from the Kazakh National Agrarian Research University with a degree in Agronomy.
In 2019, he began his career as a contact centre operator for Burabai Damu LLP. From 2020 to 2026, he was the Managing Director of Seipil Malik Farm, which is officially run by his mother Botagoz Saparova. According to Caravan.kz, the farm has no machinery or assets aside from land, and no tax contributions.
In June 2026, Seipelov became a Chief Specialist in the Akmola Region Akimat for agriculture, and later for state agro-industrial complex (AIC) programmes. From there, he was appointed deputy akim of the district – a leap that took only about a month.
WHAT THE SAPAROV AGRICULTURAL 'DYNASTY' IS INVOLVED IN
According to publicly available sources, nearly all of the minister's relatives are involved in agribusiness. Aisultan's brother, Nursultan, is a co-owner of NUR-Agro 2050 LLP, established in 2019, when his father became First Vice-Minister. His sister Shulushash is married to the nephew of former Majilis Speaker Nurlan Nigmatulin; the latter runs Zhetimshoky JV LLP (a subsidiary of the Kazakhmys Corporation) and Agro lab LLP, which received 53.5 million tenge in subsidies in 2020. Uncles Altynbek and Kairbek own Nogaibai LLP and Bulaev Astyk LLP – both of which have received subsidies and state contracts for years in the same region.
WHAT THIS MEANS
Aidarbek Saparov turns 60 this year; his career began in 1985 as an accountant at a state farm, and then developed within the state system over decades. During this time, Kazakhstan has repeatedly announced a course of power renewal, and soon talk even turned to building a 'New Kazakhstan'.
However, career biographies often speak for themselves. A new generation is indeed replacing old-school officials, but their surnames (or, as in the case of Aisultan Seipelov, patronymics) continue to give away previous connections. The constitution has changed, and political slogans have too. Yet the principles of elite reproduction, judging by such appointments, remain remarkably recognisable.
