Patrick Amoth will continue to serve as the acting director general for health in the new changes at the Ministry of Health.
Amoth who has been acting as DG since 2019, has been serving as a chief technical advisor to the government in liaison with the Ministry of Health.
Health CS Susan Wafula in the reorganisation at the ministry in an internal memo dated April 19 moved Dr Andrew Mulwa to the Directorate of Family Health.
Mulwa has been the director Directorate of Preventive and Promotive Health. Joseph Lenai is taking over the directorate from Mulwa.
“The above officers assume office in acting position effective April 19, 2023,” the CS said in the memo.
Wafula has also created positions for two new deputies to the DG.
They include Dr Zainab Gura who will be deputy DG of the state Department of medical services and Dr Sultani Matendechero who will be the deputy director general under the Department of Public Health and Professional Standards.
The two departments are headed by PS Peter Tum and PS Josephine Mburu respectively.
In March last year, the ministry blamed the Public Service Commission for the delayed appointment of Amoth as the substantive director general.
The then Health CS Mutahi Kagwe told senators that PSC had delayed approving the ministry’s proposed organisational structure and staff establishment to allow it to fill the position.
The lawmakers had demanded answers on why Amoth has occupied the position in an acting capacity since 2019.
He succeeded Dr John Masasabi, who had been deployed to the position in April 2019.
Come June, Amoth’s position was advertised officially by the Public Service Commission.
Despite his acting for a long time, Amoth is the President of the World Health Organization (WHO) Executive Board based in Geneva, Switzerland.
Others appointed in Acting capacity in the new changes are Irene Inwani who will be in charge of the Directorate of Clinical Services and Elizabeth Wangia in the Directorate of Health Financing.
Dr Francis Kuria has been retained as the Director at the Directorate of Public Health and Sanitation.
