The Ministry of Health has officially appointed Dr. Mercy Mwangangi as the inaugural Chief Executive Officer of the newly established Social Health Authority (SHA), marking a significant step in Kenya’s journey towards universal health coverage.
Announcing the appointment, Health Cabinet Secretary Hon. Aden Duale praised Dr. Mwangangi’s wealth of experience in health financing, policy development, and institutional reform. A well-respected figure in Kenya’s health sector, Dr. Mwangangi brings over 15 years of expertise in health systems strengthening, governance, and strategic partnerships.
Prior to this appointment, Dr. Mwangangi served as the Senior Health Systems Strengthening Director at AMREF Health Africa, where she led major health financing and security investments across the continent. Her work has focused on expanding access to primary healthcare and mobilizing development funding to support universal health coverage.
“She has a proven track record of transformative leadership and is well-equipped to steer the Social Health Authority into a new chapter,” said CS Duale.
Dr. Mwangangi’s appointment follows a rigorous recruitment process that attracted 92 applicants. After shortlisting 12 candidates, the ministry settled on Dr. Mwangangi to lead the authority’s ambitious mandate.
The Ministry congratulated her on the appointment and expressed confidence in her ability to deliver on SHA’s objectives, which include enhancing access to quality, affordable healthcare for all Kenyans.
Dr. Mwangangi now takes the reins at SHA at a critical time when the country is accelerating reforms in health financing and service delivery under the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) framework.
