West Pokot County, located in Kenya’s Rift Valley region, operates under the leadership of Governor Simon Kachapin, who assumed office following the 2022 general elections. Kachapin, who previously served as the county’s inaugural governor, won back the seat on a United Democratic Alliance (UDA) ticket, defeating incumbent John Lonyangapuo in a closely contested race with 86,476 votes against 84,610.
The county government structure is composed of 10 County Executive Committee (CEC) members, each tasked with overseeing specific portfolios. Here is the list of current CECs and their respective ministries:
List of West Pokot County Ministers (CECs)
- Finance and Economic Planning – Paul P’kukot Woyakapel
- Public Works, Transport and Roads – Loriong’ong’ar Ruto Joshua
- Public Services, ICT and Devolved Units – Martin Aperem Lottee
- Trade, Cooperative Development, Industry and Energy – William Lopewot Petot
- Education and Technical Training – Rebeca Kide
- Lands, Housing, Physical Planning, and Urban Development – Esther Chelimo Loukotum
- Water, Environment, Natural Resources, and Climate Change – Litole Lucky Jemutai
- Tourism, Culture, Gender, and Social Development – Joshua Lochmidi Siwanyang
- Livestock, Irrigation, and Fisheries – Wilfred Longronyang
- Health and Sanitation – Claire Chemutai Parklea
County Ministers’ Salaries in Kenya
County Executive Committee (CEC) members across Kenyan counties, including West Pokot, earn competitive salaries as stipulated by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC). A CEC’s salary package includes a basic salary, house allowance, and a market adjustment allowance, totaling Ksh 404,250 per month. Below is a breakdown:
- Basic Salary: Ksh 242,550
- House Allowance: Ksh 45,000
- Market Adjustment Allowance: Ksh 81,700
- Total Monthly Salary: Ksh 404,250
Key Governance Priorities
Governor Kachapin’s administration has emphasized enhancing infrastructure, education, healthcare, and environmental conservation. His win was seen as a comeback, reversing the leadership under Lonyangapuo, who had aligned with Raila Odinga’s Azimio la Umoja coalition—likely impacting his performance in the UDA-dominated Rift Valley region.
West Pokot County continues to focus on both sustainable development and addressing socio-economic challenges such as education access, water scarcity, and climate change, with the CECs playing pivotal roles in implementing these initiatives.
