Dark Past Comes to Haunt Nyong’o Blue-Eyed Boy Leserian Lesiyampe On His Appointment As Acting KNH CEO

The corridors of power at Kenyatta National Hospital are buzzing with controversy following the appointment of Dr. Richard Leserian Lesiyampe as acting Chief Executive Officer, a move that has sent shockwaves through Kenya’s healthcare sector and raised serious questions about political patronage in critical public institutions.

Lesiyambe’s ascension to the helm of East and Central Africa’s premier referral hospital comes with baggage that reads like a script from a corruption thriller.

His appointment, orchestrated through the influential networks of Kisumu Governor Anyang Nyong’o, has reopened old wounds and brought to light a troubling pattern of financial impropriety that spans multiple government positions.

The timing of Lesiyambe’s appointment is particularly telling.

He replaces Evanson Kamuri, whose six-month tenure was marred by scandal and whose political lifeline was severed following the diminishing influence of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.

Kamuri’s departure, precipitated by multimillion-shilling scandals involving tender manipulations at the Royal Golf Club, left a void that many expected would be filled through transparent recruitment processes.

Instead, what emerged was a carefully choreographed political maneuver that saw Nyong’o leverage his historical relationship with Lesiyambe to secure the position.

This is not their first dance together.

Back in June 2011, when Nyong’o served as Medical Services Minister under President Mwai Kibaki, he appointed Lesiyambe as KNH CEO despite the latter not topping the interview rankings among the four shortlisted candidates.

That first tenure at KNH was marked by widespread unpopularity among board members and hospital management.

Staff nicknamed him “Rhino,” a moniker that spoke volumes about his abrasive management style and alleged attempts to benefit from every tender advertised.

When he eventually left, hospital staff reportedly celebrated his departure.

The intervening years have not been kind to Lesiyambe’s reputation.

His stint as Agriculture Principal Secretary ended dramatically when he found himself in the dock alongside 17 others, facing corruption charges related to a devastating Sh5.6 billion maize purchase saga.

The scandal saw thousands of farmers duped while cartels lined their pockets, with internal audits revealing that Sh376.8 million of the Sh3.5 billion spent should never have been disbursed.

Dr Richard Lesiyampe Leserian

The charges against Lesiyambe were particularly damning.

Prosecutors argued that he failed to comply with the Public Finance Management Act while approving payments worth Sh5.6 billion, neglected to consult the required oversight board, unlawfully spent money without authorization, and purchased maize beyond the approved budget.

His more recent tenure as CEO of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) in Kisumu further cemented his reputation for financial irregularities.

The Auditor General’s report for the 2023/2024 financial year painted a picture of an institution in financial chaos under his leadership.

Unreconciled variances totaling hundreds of millions of shillings, questionable asset valuations, and discrepancies between financial statements became the hallmarks of his management style.

At JOOTRH, Lesiyambe was linked to a multimillion-shilling project involving the prime care center, with inflated costs for basic renovations including toilets, kitchens, and departmental refurbishments.

Despite claims of increased revenue collection, much of it could not be properly accounted for, raising serious questions about financial transparency and accountability.

The pattern of financial impropriety extends beyond his official positions.

Intelligence sources suggest that Lesiyambe has accumulated wealth estimated at Sh2.5 billion, including prime properties in Nairobi’s Ngara area, apartments in Rongai, and a hotel in Samburu.

His extensive asset portfolio, which includes million-dollar accounts and secret companies allegedly involved in mega health sector supplies across various counties, raises uncomfortable questions about the source of such wealth on a civil servant’s salary.

Perhaps most concerning is the allegation that Lesiyambe’s proxies are among those lobbying against the new e-procurement system, using governors as their vehicles of influence.

This resistance to transparent procurement processes speaks to deeper systemic issues that his appointment may exacerbate rather than resolve.

The appointment has caught Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale off-guard, forcing him to assign Principal Secretary Ouma Oluga to preside over the handover ceremony rather than officiating himself.

This move is seen as Duale’s way of distancing himself from a decision he neither initiated nor endorsed.

Staff at KNH who worked with Lesiyambe during his previous tenure have expressed dismay at his return.

They question why medical professionals are being overlooked for leadership positions in medical institutions, pointing out that if Health PS Oluga, a medic, can run the ministry, surely KNH deserves similar medical leadership.

The broader implications of this appointment extend beyond KNH’s walls.

As Lesiyambe eyes the Samburu gubernatorial seat in 2027, questions arise about how he will balance political ambitions with the demanding responsibilities of running Kenya’s largest public hospital.

The financial resources required for a gubernatorial campaign inevitably raise concerns about potential conflicts of interest and the temptation to use his current position to generate campaign funds.

The appointment also highlights the troubling influence of political patronage in critical public appointments.

Lesiyambe’s relationship with Nyong’o, dating back to the Kibaki era and strengthened through ODM networks, appears to have trumped merit-based selection processes.

This raises fundamental questions about governance and accountability in Kenya’s health sector.

For a hospital system already grappling with challenges ranging from inadequate funding to infrastructure deficits, the appointment of a CEO with such a controversial track record sends the wrong message.

KNH serves as the final referral point for millions of Kenyans and plays a crucial role in medical training and research.

It deserves leadership that inspires confidence rather than suspicion.

The unresolved corruption cases hanging over Lesiyambe’s head add another layer of complexity to his appointment.

How can someone facing serious corruption charges provide the moral leadership required to transform a critical public institution?

The optics alone are damaging to public confidence in Kenya’s healthcare system.

As Lesiyambe settles into his acting role, all eyes will be on whether the KNH board will conduct a transparent recruitment process for a permanent CEO or whether political machinations will once again triumph over institutional integrity.

The stakes could not be higher for an institution that serves as the backbone of Kenya’s healthcare system and the reputation of those who appointed him.

The ghosts of Lesiyambe’s past are unlikely to remain buried, and his tenure at KNH will be scrutinized like few others before him.

For the sake of Kenya’s healthcare system and the millions who depend on it, one can only hope that competence will eventually triumph over connections, and accountability over political expediency.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​