Chiromo Hospital was thrust into the spotlight after Toto Touch CEO Susan Kamengere Njoki died at the facility.
Dr. Frank Njenga is a renowned psychiatrist, elder statesman of African Psychiatry, founder, and owner of Chiromo Hospital Group.
He is an accomplished academic, entrepreneur, author and public servant who continues to teach, write and practice Psychiatry in Nairobi, Kenya.
He was born on December 12, 1950.
Njenga obtained his medical degree at the University of Nairobi (UON) in 1975 and taught at the same University in the early eighties.
He also pursued Public Relations and TV Psychiatry at the Maudsley Correspondence College in the United Kingdom.
He was elected fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists of the UK and is a Professor of Psychiatry and Mental Health at the University of Cape Town in South Africa.
He has served as a member of the American Psychiatric Association for 21 years, making him a longstanding member.
Njenga was at the Annual Conference of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) in Los Angeles in May 2025.
Founding Chiromo Hospital
Njenga joined the private sector in 1983 after leaving his teaching role at UON.
He used his knowledge and skills in Public Relations to educate the public on mental health in Kenya.
In 1997, he established his first mental health care center at Chiromo lane, Westland.
Chiromo currently has five branches including Braeside, Bustani, Westland, Upper Hill Medical Centre and Nyali.
Dr. Frank Njenga Current Position and Role
Dr. Njenga serves as the Chief Psychiatrist at Chiromo Hospital Group, where he sees patients referred from all over the world.
As founder, he remains on the Board of the Chiromo Hospital Group (CHG).
He serves as its chair and provides strategic direction for the group in its service to humanity.
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Govt Positions
Njenga has previously served as Presidential Advisor on Mental Health and Chairman of the Presidential Taskforce on Mental health.
He also served as Chair of the National Campaign Against Drug Abuse (NACADA) for several years.
In these roles, he has spearheaded the shaping of mental health legislation, policy development, and action plans currently being implemented in Kenya.
Additionally, he has served in a Tribunal to establish the mental fitness of a judge to practice.
He was also a member of The Tribunal to inquire into the cult killings at Shakahola in Kenya.
Author
He has authored several books and book chapters in lay and academic publications.
The most recent book, Healing the Mind, was published in 2023.
His other book is The Textbook Essentials of Psychiatry for Sub-Saharan Africa.
Several books for children were published by Oxford University Press including Madhouse, Never Again, Hooked, and What’s Wrong with This Child.
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Public Speaker
He is a public speaker and has delivered lectures across the globe.
Dr. Njenga normally addressed topical and current public concerns, including mental health in adolescence, mental health and migration, and the concerns of members of the diaspora.
He has a long-standing TV series titled Frankly Speaking, which has broken barriers in the public understanding of Mental health and the associated stigma.
International Service Roles
Dr. Njenga served at the World Psychiatric Association.
He was the founding President of the Association of African Psychiatrists and Allied Professionals.
He has also delivered academic papers in Australia, Japan, China, Europe, South America, and across the African continent.
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