SIAYA, Kenya — Humble, approachable and considerate: those are the qualities colleagues most often use to describe Mr. Wilfred Ouma Nyagudi, the Chief Executive Officer of the Siaya County Public Service Board. But behind the temperament is a disciplined human-resource strategist whose work over two decades—spanning public service, civil society and the private sector—has made him the engine powering Siaya County’s people systems.
Nyagudi joined the Siaya County Public Service in 2014 and has since occupied pivotal roles that shaped the county’s HR architecture. He has served as Acting Board Secretary and CEO of the County Public Service Board, Director of Public Service Transformation, Deputy Director of Human Resource Management and Development, and Chief Human Resource Management Officer. In each post, he worked to standardize recruitment, strengthen performance management, and align staff development with service-delivery goals—quiet, process-driven changes that outlast news cycles but move institutions.
His grounding is wider than government. In civil society, Nyagudi worked as a Field Officer for the Gender and Development Centre under the Kenya Civil Society Strengthening Programme (KCSSP), gaining first-hand insight into community needs and stakeholder engagement. He later served as Programme Development Manager and Human Resource Manager & Developer at the Matangwe Community Health Development Programme (MCHDP) in partnership with Caring Partners Global (CPG), Canada, and was Project Manager for Ashburn Medical Centre and Passion Partners Global (USA). These roles sharpened his ability to blend compassion with compliance—listening to people while still holding the line on standards.
Community service remains a hallmark of his leadership. Nyagudi has chaired the MCHDP Board of Management (in collaboration with CPG) and sits on the boards of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Secondary School, Gobei Secondary School, and Gobei Primary School. Those governance seats keep him close to families, teachers and learners—the very pipeline from which the county’s future workforce will emerge.
Academically, Nyagudi brings a rare breadth of preparation to the public sector. He holds an MSc in Human Resource Management from JKUAT and a B.A. (Hons) from Makerere University. He is a Chartered Secretary (UK), a Certified Human Resource Professional (CHRP III), a Certified Job Analyst, a Certified Corporate Governance expert, a Certified Human Resource Auditor, and a Certified Human Capital Analyst. He is finalizing a Ph.D. in Human Resource Management at JKUAT, underscoring his commitment to evidence-based practice.
His executive education reinforces that toolkit: the Strategic Leadership and Development Programme (SLDP) and Senior Management Course (SMC) at the Kenya School of Government (KSG); training in Peace Building and Conflict Resolution through KCSSP; and the County Public Service Boards Induction Course at KSG. Professionally, he is active in the Institute of Human Resource Management (IHRM) Kenya, the Academy of Human Resource Professionals (ACHRP), and the Chartered Secretaries Institute (CSI), UK.
Nyagudi also contributes to scholarship in the field. In 2020, he authored “Succession Management and Employee Retention in Mobile Telecommunication Companies in Kenya,” published in The Strategic Journal of Business & Change Management. In 2018, he co-authored with D. Juma “Influence of Human Resource Management on Retention of Health Care Workers in Siaya County Referral Hospital, Kenya,” in the International Journal of Human Resources and Procurement. These works reflect his long-running focus on what keeps talent engaged and systems resilient—questions at the heart of any high-performing public service.
What sets Nyagudi apart, however, is leadership style. Staff describe an open-door policy, quiet confidence, and a habit of listening first—traits that make him approachable and considerate even when decisions are tough. He is known to mentor younger officers, insist on due process in recruitment and promotions, and pair performance targets with capacity-building so teams are set up to succeed. The reputation for humility is not mere sentiment; it shows up in day-to-day management—clear communication, dignified treatment of staff, and prompt attention to issues that affect morale and service delivery.
In practical terms, that ethos translates into a steady program of improvement: professionalized hiring, fair and transparent HR practices, and targeted training that links personal growth to county priorities. It is the sort of methodical, people-centered leadership that doesn’t seek the spotlight but powers results where they matter most—at health facilities, in classrooms, on roads and in offices where county staff meet citizens.
For Siaya County, the equation is simple: strong people systems yield better services. And at the center of those systems is Wilfred Ouma Nyagudi—a leader whose credentials are deep, whose community ties are real, and whose character aligns with the values Kenyans expect from public service. In title and in practice, he is the engine that drives human resource in Siaya County.
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