The Ministry of Health (MoH) plays a critical role in ensuring a progressive, responsive, and sustainable healthcare system.
Over the years, the Ministry has strived to provide good health standards to all Kenyans.
In 2013, the health service delivery function was devolved to the 47 county governments.
This left the national government in charge of health policy and regulatory functions, technical assistance to counties, and management of national referral health facilities.
The Health Cabinet Secretary (CS), formerly Minister leads in the efforts towards realizing a healthy, productive and globally competitive delivery.
Educated individuals and popular politicians have served as Health CS and left different marks at the ministry.
Mwai Kibaki
Late President Mwai Kibaki is among the people who have served as health minister.
Kibaki led the health docket between 1988 and 1991 during the reign of Late President Daniel Arap Moi.
He however resigned from the ruling party KANU in 1991 to contest for the presidency the following year where he came in third.
Kibaki contested again in 1997 and came in second behind Moi who won against the opposition leaders to retain power.
Kibaki would then win the country’s top seat in the 2002 elections against his closest competitor Uhuru Kenyatta and served as president for two terms, up to 2013.
He died on April 21, 2022, at the age of 90 and was buried on April 30 at his Othaya home in Nyeri.
Charity Ngilu
Ngilu’s National Party of Kenya (NPK) supported Kibaki in the 2002 elections and she was appointed health minister the following year.
She held the position up to 2007 before Kibaki moved her to the Ministry of Water and Irrigation.
Uhuru then appointed Ngilu as Lands, Housing and Urban CS in 2013 under the Jubilee Coalition government.
However, Ngilu was among the four CSs accused of engaging in corruption and was consequently forced to resign in 2015.
She contested for the Kitui gubernatorial seat in 2017 and won against incumbent Julius Malombe.
Surprisingly, she withdrew her candidature for the 2022 gubernatorial race in Malombe’s favor.
Coalition Government Health Ministry
In 2008, during the Coalition government, the health ministry was divided into two; the Ministry of Public Health and that of Medical Services.
Beth Mugo served as the Minister of Public Health and Sanitation while Prof Peter Anyang’ Nyong’o led the Medical Services department.
Beth Mugo
During this period, she oversaw the enactment of the Act to control smoking.
She also convinced the Finance Ministry to develop a tobacco taxation policy that would ensure annual increments in tobacco taxation.
The Act made smoking illegal in public places ranging from disco halls, cinemas, offices, hospitals, factories, bars and eateries to shopping malls, public transport and residential houses.
It also addressed the prohibition of tobacco promotion, advertising and sponsorship.
From May 2011 to 2012, she served in the Policy and Strategy Committee (PSC) of the Global Fund Board.
The PSC was responsible for Strategy Development and formulating policies for Governance by the Board which is the supreme oversight organ of the Global Fund.
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Mugo was the alternate Board Member for the Eastern and Southern Africa Region on the Global Fund Board between May 2009 to May 2011.
After Kibaki’s retirement in 2013, Mugo was nominated as senator throughout Uhuru’s tenure.
She hit the headlines in February 2022 when her husband, Nicholas Muratha Mugo, died.
Mugo died at a hospital in Nairobi after a long illness at 86 years.
In 2023, she told a local media house that former Liberian president Ellen Johson Sirleaf persuaded her to run for the presidency in the 2002 elections.
Mugo is the niece of Kenya’s founding president Jomo Kenyatta and a cousin to former president Uhuru Kenyatta.
Anyang’ Nyong’o
Prof Anyang’ Nyong’o served as the Minister of Health Services between 2008 and 2013.
During this period, Nyong’o reformed KEMSA from being an agency to an Authority independent from political interference and getting funding directly from the treasury.
He also transformed NHIF from a Hospital Fund into a National Health Insurance Fund to provide universal healthcare to Kenyans.
Alongside his predecessor, Charity Ngilu they initiated a process to provide Kenyans with universal health coverage in 2004.
In 2013, Nyong’o- the then ODM Secretary General contested to be Kisumu senator and won.
He is currently serving his second term as Kisumu governor having won the seat in the 2017 elections.
In September 2023, Nyong’o was appointed as a United Nations adviser on Local Governments.
James Wainaina Macharia
Accountant James Wainaina Macharia served as the first Health CS under the new Constitution.
Macharia took over from Nyong’o and Mugo in 2013 and led the docket for two years.
He was moved to the Ministry of Transport in November 2015 despite corruption allegations in his previous position.
He survived an impeachment motion tabled by Nyali MP Mohamed Ali and led the ministry until 2022 when Uhuru left office.
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The accountant has maintained a low profile since the 2022 general election when President William Ruto took over power.
Macharia served as Standard Chartered Bank Financial Controller in 1994 before moving to Zambia as Director of African Banking Corporation.
He also served as Group Managing Director with NCIC Bank from 2005 up to 2013.
He topped at Kagumo High School in both “O” and “A” levels and graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Nairobi.
Macharia is a qualified CPA(K) and attained an MBA Degree from Henley Management College, UK.
Cleopa Kilonzo Mailu
He succeeded Macharia and held the position for two years with controversies in between including the alleged looting of Ksh5 billion.
Mailu was transferred to the Lands Ministry in March 2017 in a mini reshuffle by President Uhuru.
He was appointed as the Ambassador of Kenya to the United Nations in Geneva in 2018.
Mailu was the first CEO of Nairobi Hospital in 2003 and led the institution for twelve years.
He also held various positions at Kenyatta National Hospital before serving in the MoH between 1995 and 1999 in different capacities.
Sicily Kariuki
Kariuki was appointed Health CS in 2018 and held the position up to 2020.
The former CS survived an impeachment the same year she was appointed after a petition was signed by over 100 MPs.
Allegations filed against her included nepotism, arrogance, and misuse of public resources.
She was moved to the Ministry of Water in January 2020 just before the Covid-19 pandemic.
Kariuki resigned in February 2022 to contest for the Nyandarua gubernatorial seat.
She however bowed out of the race in April and has since maintained a life out of the media.
Since August 2022, she has been serving as founder and CEO of Leadership Coaching, Mentoring, Leadership Development and Business Advisory Firm.
Kariuki bounced into the limelight in February 2024 when she launched her book ‘Breaking the Illusions’ covering his leadership lesson.
Previously, she served as Public Service, Youth and Gender Affairs CS between 2015 and 2018.
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Mutahi Kagwe
Kagwe assumed office on February 28, 2020, taking over from his predecessor Sicily Kariuki.
The CS is remembered for his regular updates and words of hope to the citizens during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“If we continue to treat this disease normally, it will treat us abnormally” he said in one of the key phrases he is remembered for.
Nakhumicha replaced Kagwe when President Ruto took over in 2022.
The former CS maintained a low profile ever since Uhuru retired.
Kagwe was elected as the first Senator of Nyeri county in 2013 before his appointment as Health CS.
He also served as ICT Minister during Kibaki’s first term and Mukurweini MP between 2002 and 2007.
He successfully vied for the Nyeri gubernatorial seat in 2017 and was later appointed to the board of the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA).
