Mercy Mwangangi is the Chief Administrative Secretary in the Health ministry. She is a trained medical doctor having graduated from the University of Nairobi in 2009 with a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery. She also holds a Master’s Degree in Health Economics and Policy from the University of Adelaide, Australia.
Mwangangi previously worked in the public health department in Tharaka-Nithi County before rising through the ranks to become Head of Health Financing & Health Economics at the Ministry of Health. She was part of the team evaluating performance contracts and appraisals for the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF).
She also helped put together the Linda Mama programme for free maternity services, the health insurance strategy for the poor and many other initiatives, including the conditional grant framework for county governments. Mwangangi also supported the crafting of the Universal Healthcare (UHC) agenda into an actionable plan besides acting as the technical advisor to Health CS.
In 2020, Mwangangi has been at the forefront in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. She has been working closely with Health CS Mutahi Kagwe and other health officials to deliver the daily briefings on the coronavirus epidemic. She has toured several counties where she has engaged community leaders on their role in the fight against Covid-19 in the country.
Mwangagi serves as a joint secretary in the taskforce on Universal Health Coverage, and is a member of African Women in Leadership Network (WILN), a forum that allows women to share valuable insights for the advancement of African women.