‪Ruto Appoints Abbas Gullet as New Chair KNH‬

President William Ruto has appointed Dr. Abbas Gullet as the new Chairperson of the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) Board of Directors in a significant shake-up of leadership in Kenya’s key health parastatals.

The appointment, announced through a gazette notice dated July 25, takes effect on August 5, 2025, and will run for three years.

Dr. Gullet, a seasoned humanitarian and long-serving former Secretary General of the Kenya Red Cross Society, replaces Dr. Samier Muravvej, whose term was revoked.

However, Dr. Muravvej has not been left in the cold.

In what appears to be a strategic reassignment, President Ruto appointed him as the Non-Executive Chairperson of the National Syndemic Diseases Control Council.

The reshuffle is part of a broader reorganization within the health sector, with the President also naming Fredrick Namenya Were as the new Chair of the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC), replacing Dr. Stanley Khainga.

Paul Ndung’u Kariuki has been appointed as the new Non-Executive Chair of the Kenya National Public Health Institute, taking over from David Ndegwa Nyokabi.

The changes signal Ruto’s ongoing push to assert executive influence over key public health institutions amid growing concerns over service delivery and accountability in the sector.

Dr. Gullet’s appointment to lead KNH, the country’s largest referral and teaching hospital, is being closely watched.