The Ministry of Health has announced the appointment of former Health Chief Administrative Secretary Dr. Mercy Mwangangi as the new Chief Executive Officer of the Social Health Authority (SHA).
In a statement on Friday, April 11, the MoH Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said that Mwangangi’s appointment follows the conclusion of a competitive recruitment process which saw a total of 92 applicants, out of which 12 Candidates were shortlisted and interviewed.
While announcing that the former CAS has been selected to take over the reins of SHA, CS Duale said that the ministry is confident that she has what it takes to steer the authority and deliver on its mandate.
“Dr. Mwangangi, a health financing and policy expert with over 15 years of experience in universal health coverage (UHC), institutional reform, and health systems strengthening, a proven leader in health governance, resource mobilization, and strategic partnerships, with an exceptional track record of driving policy transformation and financing reforms in Kenya’s healthcare landscape is poised to lead SHA into the next Chapter,” read part of the statement.
“The Ministry congratulates Dr. Mwangangi on her appointment and wishes her all the best as she becomes the first Chief Executive Officer for the Social Health Authority.”
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Mercy Mwangangi Career profile
The new SHA CEO is currently the Senior Health Systems Strengthening Director at AMREF Health Africa where she has been spearheading health financing and health security investments across Africa, securing development assistance funding for primary healthcare and universal coverage expansion.
She served as a CAS at the Ministry of Health during former President Uhuru Kenyatta‘s second term and was among the top officials who worked tirelessly to contain the COVID-19 pandemic in Kenya after the first case was recorded in March 2020.
As a CAS, she was also responsible for overseeing public health across all districts, providing a wide range of services, including immunization, nutrition, routine monitoring, water and sanitation, as well as malaria and tuberculosis management.
Mercy has been in the public health sector since 2010. Her first leadership appointment came at the age of 23, right after completing her medical internship at Machakos Level Five Hospital when she was posted to Meru South as a district medical officer.
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In 2013, Mwangangi successfully secured an Australian scholarship for a dual master’s degree in health economics, policy, and leadership.
She then took up the role of Head of Health Financing and Health Economics at MoH upon returning to Kenya until her appointment as CAS.
In addition to this role, the new SHA CEO also served as a joint secretary in the Universal Health Coverage task force, one of the key pillars of the Jubilee Government’s Big Four Agenda.
Mwangangi attended Pangani Girls High School in Nairobi for her secondary education before joining the University of Nairobi (UoN), where she pursued a degree in Medicine and graduated in 2009.
Shortlisted candidates
Among other candidates who had been shortlisted alongside the former CAS were acting SHA CEO Robert Ingasira.
Ingasira was appointed in an acting capacity following the suspension of former CEO Elijah Wachira in November 2024.
Other shortlisted candidates were Kandie Ng’ochoch, Wario Tore, Kennedy Akello, Serem Edward, Abdullahi Abdirahman, Musa Lwegado, Agrippina Fernendes, Samson Kairang’a, Dinah Kirwa, and Roberts Abok.
Following the suspension of Wachira, the SHA CEO position became vacant, with the authority subsequently advertising the vacancy on February 27, 2025, and setting a submission deadline of March 20, 2025.
This was before SHA chairperson Dr. Abdi Mohammed in March announced that Mwangangi was one of 12 shortlisted candidates.
The interviews were subsequently scheduled for April 7 and 8 at SHA headquarters.
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