Bob Collymore, Mercy Oburu get parastatal jobs

Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore. PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Also appointed to the board are Kenya Network of Cancer Organisations (KENCO) chairperson David Makumi and Mercy Oburu, the Digital Content Manager at Royal Media Services, which owns Citizen TV and a number of radio stations.
  • Mr Makumi has been in the forefront of articulating the plight and concerns of Kenyans living with cancer for over a decade.
  • Ms Oburu, a cancer survivor, is member of the board of the Africa Cancer Foundation. She previously served as Editor in Chief at RMS.
  • Ms Njiru is a physician, oncologist and lecturer at Moi University.

Safaricom chief executive Bob Collymore is among four people appointed on Wednesday as members of the National Cancer Institute board.

This is according to a Gazette notice of May 6 by Health Cabinet Secretary Sicily Kariuki.

Also appointed to the board are Kenya Network of Cancer Organisations (KENCO) chairperson David Makumi and Mercy Oburu, the Digital Content Manager at Royal Media Services, which owns Citizen TV and a number of radio stations.

The notice stated, "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."

Appointees to the institute will serve for the next three years.

COLLYMORE

The Safaricom boss, whose contract expires in August, took nine months off in 2017 to receive cancer treatment in England.

While it is understood that the Kenyan government is keen to see a Kenyan chief executive once he steps down, Safaricom is yet to name a successor.

Board chair Nicholas Nganga earlier said they had not made a decision on the matter.

“This will be a subject of deliberation by the board and once a decision is made it will be communicated at the appropriate time,” he said.

OTHER PROFILES

Mr Makumi has been in the forefront of articulating the plight and concerns of Kenyans living with cancer for over a decade.

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).

Ms Oburu previously served as Editor in Chief at RMS. The cancer survivor is a member of the board of the Africa Cancer Foundation.

Ms Njiru is a physician, oncologist and lecturer at Moi University.

She is also a Consortium for Advanced Research Training in Africa (CARTA) fellow, having carried out a successful situational analysis of cancer care in the Western Kenya population

THE INSTITUTE

The National Cancer Institute was established under the Cancer Control Act, which serves as the coordinating body for all cancer control activities in Kenya.

Its 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”.

According to its website, “the main activities include general oversight, coordination of all activities, advocacy and awareness creation, cancer registration and coordinating cancer research”.

The umbrella body of cancer civil society groups has more than 30 member organisations spread across the country.