By Isaac Blessings
Studying Medicine means that you have to be a top performer in academics. Being a doctor requires you to commit and sacrifice a lot of things since you’ll have to spend many years in the medical institutes being prepared to join the field. But once you are done, your skills and knowledge are very highly-sought after, making doctors one of the highly paid professionals in the world. Here is a list of Kenya’s richest doctors.
Dr. Catherine Nyongesa
Dr. Catherine Nyongesa is the founder and owner of Texas Cancer Centre. She is a radiation oncology specialist who has been in the field since 1996. She is the firstborn in a family of 10 and at one point she had to take care of her sister who had uterine cancer. It is the experience that pushed her to specialize her studies in oncology with the aim of helping as many cancer patients as possible. She studied medicine at the University of Nairobi and graduated in 1995. Dr. Nyongesa worked in several hospitals in the country until early 2002 when she left for South Africa where she pursued a Masters in Oncology at the prestigious University of Witwatersrand. She jetted back to the country in 2006 with the dream of establishing a cancer care centre. The 51 year old later took a 100 million loan to set up the facility in 2010. The risk seems to have worked since the hospital is currently valued at over Ksh 1 billion. The facility is funded by MD Cancer Centre in Texas as well as other influential people like American rapper Rick Ross and Jamaican Dancehall artist Demarco among others. When the Kenya Revenue Authority’s (KRA) taxpayer’s list was released recently, it was revealed that Dr. Nyongesa was earning Ksh. 870,000 per month.
Also Read: Catherine Nyongesa: The Billionaire Doctor Who Founded Texas Cancer Centre
Dr. Zipporah Gathuya
Dr. Zipporah Gathuya is a child anesthetist and principal surgeon at St John Ambulance, Kenya. Her first job was as a medical intern at Chogoria Mission Hospital in Meru where she was paid Ksh 11,430 per month. She later joined Kenyatta National Hospital as a medical officer and as she worked at the Intensive Care Unit, she got interested in critical care which involved anesthesia. It was then that she decided that it was time to specialize in paediatric anaesthesia since at that time there were no such doctors in the country. While at Kenyatta National Hospital, she met two paediatric anaesthesiologists from the United States who invited her to accompany them back to Minneapolis. There, she studied a short course in paediatric anaesthesia at the Children’s Hospitals of Minnesota. She later went to South Africa to pursue a Master’s Degree in Anaesthesiology. Her expertise has taken her to different countries including Peru, Bangladesh, and Ethiopia among others. She has also received international service awards from the Queen of England and the Kenyan government. Apart from her medical career, Dr. Gathuya is a director at the Global Initiative for Children’s Surgery – a non-profit organization in America, a director at Suntra Investment Bank and was listed among the owners of Tribe hotel, Sankara Resort, Ashnil hotel and Ol Pejeta Ranch.
Dr. M.M Qureshi
Dr. Mubashir Mahmood Qureshi is a neurosurgeon working at the Aga Khan University hospital in Nairobi. He is among the first as well as the best neurologist brains Kenya has ever produced. He started practicing back in the 1970s and has over 30 years of experience and expertise in the medical field. He is currently the Chairman of Neurological Society of Kenya, President of CAANS, WFNS Neuroendoscopy co-chairman, WFNS Foundation Executive Board member, Vice President NED in the region of Africa, FIENS Board member, Coordinator at C-CNS-ECSAR, a WFNS Reference Training Site Observer, member of WHO-WFNS group and a lead-consultant at Aga Khan University.
Dr. Betty Gikonyo
Dr. Betty Gikonyo is the co-founder and CEO of the Karen Hospital, Nairobi. She is a cardiologist and surgeon by profession who studied a bachelor of medicine and surgery and masters in paediatric at the University of Nairobi before leaving for further studies in the United States of America. While there, she studied a Post-Doctoral in Pediatrics Cardiology at the prestigious University of Minnesota. Upon coming back to Kenya, she started the Karen Hospital together with her husband in 2006. The hospital has grown to become one of the best private hospitals in the country. She has over 40 years of experience in the field and was the first female cardiologist in Kenya. Dr. Gikonyo is a professional member of the Kenya Medical Association, Kenya Cardiac Society, Kenya Paediatric Association, Kenya Medical Women Association and the Founding Chair of the University of Nairobi Alumni Association. She was also the Chairperson of Nairobi Health Management Board, a position she held for 7 years and a member of the University Council for 14 years where she rose to the role of deputy chair of the University of Nairobi Council. The 71 year old is a recipient of two presidential awards – MBS and SS. She won the Most Influential Woman (Medical Category) in the CEO Global Limited East Africa Regional Awards held in 2016. She has been featured on CNN’s African Voices and the BBC’s Africa Business report in the past. She has also written her autobiography titled, “The Girl who dared to dream.”
Dr. Susan Karanja
Dr. Susan Karanja is among the only three female Neurosurgeons in Kenya. She works as a lead-consultant neurosurgeon at Kenyatta National Hospital. She pursued a Bachelor’s degree in medicine at the University of Nairobi before going for her masters in South Africa. She was influenced to study medicine at an early age when she saw the intimidating photos used to create awareness on HIV/AIDs in the 90s. The passion to pursue neurosurgery came in because she found neurology very challenging and thought it was a good point to match neurology and surgery. Susan devoted over 10 years to pursue his career in medicine and it seems like it has paid off since she is among the highly paid and richest doctors in Kenya
Dr. Hellen Nyambura Kariuki
Dr Hellen Nyambura Kariuki is a well-versed paediatrician and paediatric Haematologist based in Nairobi. She has a PHD in Medical Physiology and a Bachelor Degree in Dental Surgery from the University of Nairobi. She got her Masters in Paediatric Haematology and Oncology from the prestigious University of London. She has over 23 years of expertise in the same and has worked in the past at the Kenyatta national hospital, Ministry of health, Hammersmith hospital in London and the University Of Nairobi School of medicine. She is the founder and treasurer of the Kenya Society of Haematology and Oncology. She currently works as the CME coordinator, Division of at the Nairobi Hospital. When the list of Kenya Revenue Authority taxpayers was recently leaked, Dr Nyambura was among the highly paid doctors in Kenya.
Prof. Elly Ogutu
Prof. Elly Ogutu is a renowned Obstetrician- gastroenterologist based in Nairobi. He pursued his masters and PHD degrees in Gastroenterology in 1985 at the University of Nairobi. He has over 23 years of experience in the field and has won several awards including the Chandaria prize for best performance in Pathology and Microbiology and was awarded an advanced gastroenterology certificate by the British Postgraduate Medical Federation in November 1987. He currently works as an Honorary Consultant Gastroenterologist and Honorary Consultant Physician at Kenyatta National Hospital. He is also an associate professor of internal medicine at the University of Nairobi. He is among the list of the highly paid doctors in Kenya.
Also Read: Top Ten Best Private Hospitals In Nairobi And Their Contacts
Dr. Daniel Gikonyo
Dr. Daniel Gikonyo is one of the most popular and well-versed cardiologists in Kenya. He is both an interventional and non-invasive adult cardiologist. He has over 43 years of experience in the field and has been very instrumental in mentoring and training many adult cardiologists in Kenya. He is the founder and director of the Karen hospital – a facility that he started with his wife Dr. Betty Gikonyo. He has a Post- Doctoral in Cardiology from the University of Minnesota and has previously lectured at the faculty of medicine in the University of Nairobi. He is a member of the Kenya Medical Association and Kenya Cardiac Society. He has attended many medical international conferences and written several papers on health matters. The 72 year old is among the highly paid and richest doctors in the country.
Prof. Stanley Ominde
Prof Stanley Khainga Ominde is a healthcare practitioner specializing in plastic and reconstructive surgery. He pursued a Bachelor Degree in Medicine and surgery and a Masters in General surgery at the University of Nairobi before going for his PHD in Plastic and Reconstructive surgery at the Medical University of Southern Africa (MEDUNSA). He has attended several international conferences and written numerous papers touching on health related topics. He is the former Secretary General of the Kenya Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons and President of Pan African Association of Plastic Surgeons. He is currently the Senior Lecturer, Department of Surgery at the University of Nairobi. The 60 year old was also on the list of Kenya’s highly paid and richest doctors.
Prof John Atinga
Prof John Oluoch Ernest Atinga is a senior orthopaedic surgeon based in Nairobi. He worked as a medical officer at Kenyatta National Hospital before proceeding to the University of Birmingham where he pursued his PHD in General surgery, Paediatrics and Orthopaedic Surgery. He is a member of the American Academy of orthopaedic surgeons, Bone and Mineral Research Society and Orthopaedic Research Society of Kenya. He is currently an Associate professor in Orthopaedic and Traumatology at the University of Nairobi department of Orthopaedic Surgery. The 71 year old also appeared in the list of the highly paid and richest doctors in Kenya.
