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Dr Richard Lesiyampe Leserian was appointed Acting Chief Executive Officer of Kenyatta National Hospital on August 18, 2025.
The Health Cabinet Secretary, Aden Duale, announced the transfer as part of a wider set of leadership changes intended to strengthen governance and service delivery at the country’s largest referral and teaching hospital.
Public service career
Lesiyampe is a career public administrator and manager with a history of senior appointments in the public service.
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Dr Richard Lesiyampe
Before his transfer to Kenyatta National Hospital he was serving as Acting Chief Executive at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH).
His public service record includes appointments at principal secretary level and other senior administrative roles.
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Return to KNH
This appointment represents a return to KNH for Lesiyampe.
Dr Richard Lesiyampe Leserian
He was first appointed chief executive of the hospital in June 2011 by the then Health Minister, Prof Anyang’ Nyong’o.
That 2011 appointment broke with a long practice of placing clinicians in the hospital’s top administrative post because Lesiyampe was not a practising medical doctor.
At the time, Dr. Lesiyampe was the first person without a clinical medical qualification to hold the KNH chief executive role, with the 'Dr.' title stemming from a Doctorate he holds.
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Qualifications, academic achievements
The honorific 'Dr.' before Lesiyampe’s name denotes an academic doctorate rather than a medical qualification.
Dr Richard Lesiyampe Leserian
Dr. Richard Lesiyampe holds a doctoral degree from the Kenya Methodist University (KeMU) and an MBA (Master of Business Administration) from the University of Nairobi with a focus on strategic human resource management.
These academic qualifications are part of his professional profile as an administrator and manager.
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KNH's first ISO certification under him
One of the milestones during his first KNH term was the acquisition of the hospital’s ISO 9001:2008 certification in 2012.
Dr Richard Lesiyampe Leserian
This global quality standard recognised that KNH had put in place stronger systems to improve service delivery and accountability.
In practical terms, it meant that the hospital met internationally recognised standards for how it managed its services at the time.
The hospital presented the achievement as proof of deliberate efforts to raise management standards.
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Past roles, political ambitions
Dr Lesiyampe has also sought elective office, notably contesting the Samburu gubernatorial seat in the 2022 general elections on a Jubilee Party ticket.
Dr Richard Lesiyampe Leserian
Although unsuccessful, the campaign underscored his political ambitions beyond civil service.
Beyond Kenyatta National Hospital, he has held senior government roles including Principal Secretary for Environment and Forestry (2013–2018) and later Principal Secretary for Agriculture (2018–2019).
Earlier in his career, he served as Chief Executive Officer of the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), where he was credited with reforms in financial management and institutional governance.
These appointments positioned him as a seasoned public administrator, moving between health, agriculture, environment and wildlife management portfolios at the national level.
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More changes
Dr Evanson N. Kamuri served as KNH Chief Executive until August 2025.
Dr Richard Lesiyampe Leserian
Upon Lesiyampe’s move to KNH, Joshua Clinton Ombiri Okise took over as Acting CEO of JOOTRH.
His role includes managing the leadership transition and steering JOOTRH’s continued advancement, particularly following its elevation to Level 6 status, a designation that reflects its upgraded capacity for specialised care and training.