PS NJOGU HOSTS US-BASED KENYAN HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL AHEAD OF SPECIALIST CAMP AT KUTRRH

Friday, July 17, 2026 (NAIROBI) – The State Department for Diaspora Affairs has reaffirmed its commitment to harnessing the skills and expertise of Kenyans abroad to strengthen critical sectors of national development, as Principal Secretary, Ms. Roseline Kathure Njogu,CBS, hosted a leading Kenyan healthcare professional based in the United States.

On Friday, Ms. Njogu received Mr. Frederick O. Bw’Ombongi, MHA, FACHE, Vice President of Operations, Ancillary & Support Services at Allina Health in Minnesota, USA, for a courtesy call ahead of a high-impact Urology, Oncology, and Cardiovascular medical camp to be held at Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital (KUTRRH).

The camp will be conducted under the Diaspora Skills, Knowledge and Technology Transfer Programme, a flagship initiative by the State Department for Diaspora Affairs.

The meeting highlighted the Government’s deliberate efforts to leverage the expertise of Kenyans living and working abroad to improve service delivery, build local capacity, and support the broader health sector transformation agenda.

Through the programme, highly skilled diaspora professionals return home periodically to provide specialized services, train local teams, and introduce cutting-edge technologies and practices.

Speaking during the engagement, PS Njogu underscored that the State Department’s mandate that is increasingly focused on creating structured avenues for diaspora professionals to contribute directly to Kenya’s development across sectors such as healthcare, education, technology, and enterprise.

She emphasized that this approach represents a shift from the old notion of “brain drain” to “brain circulation,” where expertise acquired abroad is continuously reinvested back into the country.

PS Njogu noted that diaspora-led medical camps provide dual benefits: Kenyan patients gain access to world-class specialized care, while local practitioners benefit from practical exposure to advanced clinical procedures, emerging technologies, and international best practice standards.

The upcoming medical camp at KUTRRH builds on the success of the 2025 pilot programme, which demonstrated the transformative impact of structured diaspora engagement in expanding access to specialized healthcare and deepening local clinical competencies.

The PS reiterated that the State Department for Diaspora Affairs will continue to champion partnerships with Kenyan professionals abroad and their institutions, ensuring that diaspora networks are fully integrated into the country’s development agenda and that Kenyans abroad remain central partners in building a healthier, more resilient nation.