In a Gazette Notice of May 6 by Health Cabinet Secretary Sicily Kariuki, Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore was among those appointed on Wednesday as members of the National Cancer Institute board, who will serve the Institute for the next three years.
“In exercise of the powers conferred by Section 6 (2) of the Cancer Prevention and Control Act (2012), the Cabinet Secretary appoints David Makumi, Mercy Oburu, Bob Collymore and Evangeline Njiru,” read the notice.
In 2018, Bob Collymore was also appointed to the Vision 2030 Board. Safaricom CEO whose term is set to end this year end in August this year took a nine-month medical leave in late 2017 to return to his native England to battle cancer. Bob says he wants to concentrate on his health and does not wish to renew his contract.
David Makumi serves as the chairperson for Kenya Network of Cancer Organisations (KENCO). The award-winning cancer control advocate has worked in cancer control at clinical, advocacy and policy levels for over 15 years. In 2011, he was the first recipient of the International Award for Contribution to Cancer Care from the East African Region by the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS-USA).
Mercy Oburu a cancer survivor is the Digital Content Manager at Royal Media Services who is also a Board member at the Africa Cancer Foundation while Ms. Njiru works as a physician, oncologist, and lecturer at Moi University.
The National Cancer Institute was established under the Cancer Control Act, which serves as the coordinating body for all cancer control activities in Kenya whose main mandate is to advise the Cabinet Secretary of Health on the overall priorities that should be accorded to cancer prevention and control in Kenya.
The umbrella body of cancer civil society groups has more than 30 member organizations spread across the country whose main activities include general oversight, coordination of all activities, advocacy and awareness creation, cancer registration and coordinating cancer research.
