Ken Echesa has stepped down as Kakamega County’s Chief of Staff, becoming the third person to hold and vacate the position during Governor Fernandes Barasa’s two-year administration. His resignation, announced just 40 days after his appointment in December 2024, has sparked speculation about the challenges associated with the role.
Governor Barasa, who was sworn in as Kakamega’s second governor on September 15, 2022, alongside Deputy Governor Ayub Savula, has struggled to maintain stability in the Chief of Staff position. Isaac Omungo, the first to serve under Barasa, held the role briefly before being replaced by Kassim Were in January 2024. Were, a former Trade and Industrialization CEC under ex-Governor Wycliffe Oparanya, served for a year before Echesa took over. Were now serves as a political advisor in Barasa’s administration.
Echesa announced his resignation on January 21, 2025, citing governance challenges and inefficiencies within the county government as reasons for his departure. “After days of consultations and based on a forty-day experience, I have resigned from the office of the Chief of Staff of Kakamega County. I tendered my resignation to the Governor this morning and wished him well,” he stated.
He raised serious concerns about the state of medical facilities in Kakamega, which he described as being in disrepair despite efforts to portray them as functional. “In my communication to the Governor, I brought to his attention the worsening situation in our medical facilities. To imagine that our health sector is working is to live a lie. I believe the Chief Officer of Health is painting a picture of a working system when the department is no longer a going concerns,” he noted.
Echesa also called for reforms in the Finance Department, urging prompt payment for contractors, county staff, and retired ECDE teachers. He emphasized the importance of remitting SACCO and tax deductions as required by law. “Secondly, I have asked him to reform the Finance Department and ensure contractors who have rendered services in good faith are paid. Staff with pending requests must also be paid, including ECDE teachers who retired. SACCO and tax deductions should be remitted as required by law. I believe Chief Officer Finance Dr. June Mwajuma should be called to order, or the system risks sinking deeper,” he explained.
Additionally, he recommended that the governor reassess the advice he receives from his inner circle and reconnect with ordinary citizens. “Lastly, I urged him to disregard the advice he continues to receive from a few individuals around him and reconnect with the common man. This is advice one can only give when outside the system. As an advocate, I owe a moral duty to society and refuse to engage in political hero-worship of a system I believe is not on the right track,” he asserted.
In his final act as Chief of Staff, Echesa requested that his December salary be forfeited and his January pay be allocated for the purchase of urgently needed BCG vaccines for Kakamega County Referral Hospital. “As a gentleman, I have directed that my December 2024 pay be forfeited in lieu of notice, and my January salary be used to purchase BCG vaccines, which are critically needed but unavailable at Kakamega County Referral Hospital,” he wrote.
As Kakamega County prepares to appoint yet another Chief of Staff, public interest remains high as residents await to see who will take on the role and whether they can break the cycle of brief tenures.
When reached out for comment regarding Ken Echesa’s resignation as Chief of Staff, Governor Barasa was unavailable to respond.
