By Daniel Otieno, Kakamega
Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa is still reconstituting his cabinet after he sacked five county ministers in December last year.
Governor Barasa has unveiled 9 out of 10 County Executive Committee Members (CECM) with several new faces and former members being assigned to key dockets in his administration. Only the docket for Lands, Housing, Urban Areas and Physical Planning still has an acting CECM.
The move follows a series of changes aimed at enhancing service delivery and improving governance in the county.
Notable among the changes is the nomination of Mr. Godfrey Owuor as the new County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Trade, Industrialization, and Tourism. Owuor, who previously held the position of CECM for Agriculture, was dropped from the role in December 2024.
Since then, he has remained out of the limelight and the department was previously under the acting stewardship of Deputy Governor Ayub Savula.
Faith Gitira is the Chief Officer for Trade and Saxon Kweyu as the Chief Officer for Industrialization and Tourism.
The office of the governor remains largely unchanged, with Dr. Lawrence Omuhaka being retained as the County Secretary and Head of Public Service. Samson Otieno will serve as the Deputy County Secretary, while Dr. Phitalis Masakhwe continues his crucial work as Chief Officer for Service Delivery and Risk Management.
Dr. George Barack Otieno will oversee Resource Mobilization as the Chief Officer, while Dennis Eliya Wekesa is the new Chief of Staff following the resignation of Ken Echesa after serving in the position for just 40 days.
In a strategic move, Alfred Saidi will take on the role of Advisor for Strategy and Governance, while Kassim Were, the former Chief of Staff is the Advisor on Political Affairs. He was demoted as Chief of Staff in the December Cabinet reshuffle.
Leah Khasandi, who had been in the cold for three months, has been brought back as the Advisor on Gender Affairs, after previously serving as the CECM for Social Services, Children Services, Gender, and Culture. The new position is also a demotion.
Another significant shift is the appointment of Dr. Livingstone Imbayi, the former CECM for Finance and Economic Planning, who was dropped in December 2024, as the new CECM for Health. In addition, Dr. David Alilah will head Medical Services, and Dr. Rose Muhanda will act as the Chief Officer for Public Health.
In other key nominations, Dr. June Mwajuma has been appointed as the Chief Officer for Finance and Budget, while Samson Otieno will serve as the Acting Chief Officer for Economic Planning.
The new appointments also include Dr. Bernard Lumosi Amwayi as the CECM for Education, with Doreen Amwoga serving as the Chief Officer for Education.
The Governor also confirmed the retention of Patrick Kundu as CECM for Roads, Energy, and Public Works. He will additionally act as the CECM for Lands, Housing, Urban Areas, and Physical Planning.
Eng. Joseph Sweta will serve as the Acting Chief Officer for Roads and Energy, while Pascal Were will head Public Works, Shakir Adan will oversee Urban Development and Housing, and Saxon Kweyu will act as the Chief Officer for Land, Survey, and Physical Planning.
A newcomer, Jackline Kakayi Masicha, has been nominated as the CECM for Social Services, Youth, Sports, Gender, Culture, and Library Services. She will be joined by Christine Kimunguyi Masinde, who will act as the Chief Officer for Social Services, Gender, and Culture, and Saxon Kweyu, who will also act as the Chief Officer for Youth, Sports, and Library Services.
The reshuffle also saw the reassigning of Mophat Mandela, who has taken over the Agriculture docket from Sports, alongside Emmanuel Kariuki as the Chief Officer for Agriculture, Jesca Weku Wesonga as the Chief Officer for Livestock, and Bill Silingi as the Acting Chief Officer for Cooperatives.
Governor Barasa said the new cabinet members, Dr. Bernard Lumosi Amwayi, Jackline Kakayi Masicha, Benjamin Andama, Godfrey Owuor, and Livingstone Imbayi, will undergo vetting by the Kakamega County Assembly before their official appointment.
In December 2024, the Governor dismissed several high-ranking officials, including Dr. Bernard Wesonga (Health), Mariam Barasa (Lands), Benjamin Andama (Public Service and Administration), and CPA Livingstone Imbayi (Finance and Economic Planning), a move that sent shockwaves through the local political scene. Ms Barasa and Dr Wesonga have been left in the cold.
The Chief Officers in acting roles will also await the reconstitution of the County Public Service Board before officially taking up their duties, pending the completion of the vetting process.
