Gaucho's board appointment sparks public backlash

Calvince Okoth, popularly known as Gaucho, built his reputation as a fierce political loyalist.

For years, Gaucho fashioned himself as a fierce defender of late ODM leader Raila Odinga and his party.

His loud, confrontational and polarising brand of politics earned him visibility among Nairobi’s youth and informal settlements.

Gaucho has since aligned himself with President William Ruto, emerging as one of the most outspoken defenders of the so-called broad-based government.

His appointment to the board of Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital has now moved him from the streets to public health governance, igniting public backlash on the criteria used to appoint individuals to public health institutions. 

Gaucho was appointed as part of a new board constituted by the Nairobi City County Government in a Gazette notice issued last week.

Dr Elvis Meli was appointed as the hospital’s board chairperson, while Dr Chama Nzai, Susan Wanjiru Kamau, Knight Medza Kaingu and Abdalla Ali were appointed as members.

The team was appointed to office for a three-year term starting April 16, 2026.

Public opinion is split on Gaucho's qualification to serve in the position. At the centre of the controversial appointment is the concerns about his moral, professional and academic suitability for the role.

Critics argue that hospital boards require individuals with expertise in healthcare management for effective oversight.

Gaucho is known for physical confrontations during protests and was particularly linked to youths hired to disrupt Gen Z-led protests in 2024 and 2025.

In several videos posted, Gaucho was captured in the company of youth who defended the government during protests.

One of them is a video where he is seen on a motorbike mobilising young people and vowing to face the protestors who were planning to go to the streets in protest against high taxes.

In another clip, he threatens to face people from the Mt Kenya region in the event they go to the streets to protest if Ruto is re-elected next year.

Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital is one of Nairobi’s busiest medical institutions that handles thousands of patients from low-income communities.

Some commentators have described the appointment as an "insult to professionalism", while others argue that it undermines the standards expected in managing key public institutions.

Ndungu Nyoro, an educationist, said the appointment of a new board at Mama Lucy Hospital was long overdue, but questioned the impact Gaucho would have in the team.

“Governor Sakaja, for a very long time, we have heard patients crying for help. Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital has been at the centre of the crisis every single day. If not unexplainable deaths, it's babies stolen. If not, babies are stolen, or it's botched surgical procedures. If not for the wrong procedures, it's three or four patients sharing a bed. And much more.”

“Mama Lucy hospital needed a new breed of board members that would breathe fresh air and a new dose of hope. A team that will bring the hospital to a standard that goes along with its name…in all fairness, you saw Gaucho?... what does he bring to the table? Experience? Qualifications? Skills? What exactly?” Nyoro posted.

Eve said: "We have qualified youths out here, apart from goonism, what other qualifications does he hold?"

Other Kenyans argued that Gaucho’s appointment is a benefit to the local communities.

Reagan Ogutu argued that “While there are valid concerns about professional qualifications and experience required to effectively serve on such a board, it is also important to acknowledge that Gaucho represents a significant segment of citizens and understands grassroots challenges.

“Public institutions benefit from a balance between technical expertise and representation of the people’s voice. Gaucho’s inclusion could contribute unique insights, particularly on issues affecting ordinary citizens,” he argued.

“I urge the appointing authorities to ensure that all board members are supported with the necessary guidance and that the board functions collectively with professionalism, integrity, and a shared goal of improving healthcare services,” Ogutu added.

Sammy Sam said: "At the board, he will be more of a social worker in community development. He can traverse slums to find out who deserves a medical bill waiver or even a mortuary waiver. He is on the board as representative of slum dwellers, who are lying at home sick for lack of help."

In response, Gaucho dismissed critics, saying that the appointment is beneficial to the community and that his academic qualifications should be the least of the concerns.

Gaucho, who describes himself as "Ghetto President", was quoted in the media as saying that his "good relations" with the community had earned him the job.

“What people are forgetting is that being a board member does not require too much education. In this particular one, it is more about understanding and interacting with the community that goes to the hospital, representing them and safeguarding their interests,” Gaucho said.

He argued that the majority of the people who seek services at the hospital are residents of Mathare, Mukuru kwa Njenga, Kayole, Dandora, and Korogocho.

“I come from this community and I totally understand their challenges. Sometimes you find that a mother has been taken to the hospital and she’s not able to pay her bill. As a community, we can engage the hospital management to waive the bill. What education does that require?” he posed in an admission to his humble academic background.

Gaucho said he believes that he has the wisdom needed to be a helpful board member of the hospital.

“Such positions should not just be left to professors. We also need people from the communities who understand the problems. It is also a reminder to youth that we should be confident about our potential,” he argued.

When The Standard reached him for a comment on the appointment, he said he was not the only appointee.

“I am I the only one who is on the list? There are more than 100 appointees. Why don’t you look for that one as well? I will only comment about the appointment once I receive the appointment letter,” he told The Standard when contacted on the phone.

However, he credited his political loyalty to the appointment, saying Raila had promised to get him a job either in the county or national government.

“I thank God and the late Raila Odinga because he had talked to me about this appointment three years ago. He told me he would get me a job that could help me earn something and also support the community,” he said.

This, however, fuels concerns about meritocracy, with questions being raised about whether public appointments are based on competence or political loyalty.

The most recent flashpoint at the national level came in January 2025, when President William Ruto appointed former Gender Cabinet Secretary Aisha Jumwa Katana as non-executive chairperson of the Kenya Roads Board (KRB). The Institution of Engineers of Kenya immediately called for revocation, arguing that the KRB Act requires the chairperson to be selected from nominees of professional bodies such as the IEK.

Governors have also been accused of appointing unqualified individuals to sensitive positions, often bypassing legal procedures.

Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah recently observed that boards of state corporations are often “packed with a board full of idiots who are basically political failures and hangers-on looking for whatever.” The Cabinet recently approved the Government Owned Entities Bill 2025, which proposes disqualifying individuals affiliated with political parties from holding board positions. Yet the practice persists.

“I personally have litigated in court and got an order saying that boards of parastatals should be competitively recruited. You want to sit on the board of Kenya Wheat, but it should not be that you supported the president during the elections; therefore, he rewards you with a board appointment. You should do an interview and tell the people interviewing you what your blueprint is if given a chance,” Omtatah stated.