Unlike outgoing Health CS Mutahi Kagwe who assumed office when the world was facing a global pandemic, Susan Nakhumicha is set to enjoy some tranquillity despite the enormity of the tasks at hand.
Filing Mutahi Kagwe's shoes may be quite daunting, but the procurement and logistics expert is up to the task judging from her illustrious career and academic record.
She may not have the charm synonymous with Kagwe, whose press conferences were turned into memes and viral songs by content creators, but she will be devoted to shaping her own legacy in a Health docket usually marred with scandals and controversies.
Professional Career
Nakhumicha is a strategic and seasoned supply chain professional with more than 15 years of global and multicultural experience in Agile and Intelligent Supply Chain and Operations in the healthcare industry.
Her experience can be traced from her early days as a procurement intern at the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) from September 2013 to December 2013.
During her time at KEMSA, she honed her skills in procurement, learning how the government procures pharmaceuticals and medical supplies.
Prior to joining KEMSA, Nakhumicha served as the purchasing manager at Mission for Essential Drugs and Supplies from 2007 to 2013.
She also worked as a Warehouse Operations Officer at the same station before her promotion to purchasing manager.
Nakhumicha later joined Nairobi Women’s Group for over two years from January 2014 to June 2016 after she was appointed the procurement and logistics manager.
Political Career
In 2021 she vied for the Trans Nzoia women representative seat on a Ford Kenya Party but was defeated by UDA's Lilian Siyoi.
Before her appointment to the Cabinet on Tuesday, September 27 by President William Ruto, Susan was serving at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Global Programs for Research and Training.
At UCSF Nakhumicha oversaw the procurement of goods, works and services, asset tagging, and inventory management, including disposal of equipment and inventory as per policy.
Education
The incoming Health CS has a diploma in Health Care Management, which she acquired in 2006 before working at AAR Healthcare in Kisumu.
She then enrolled on a Procurement and Management degree course at Jomo Kenyatta University in 2007.
For her post-graduate education, she studied Master of Science in Procurement and Logistics at the same university, graduating in 2014.
She also undertook her doctorate studies at JKU, graduating with a PhD in Business Management, Operations Management, Supply Chain Research, Procurement and Logistics.
