Newly appointed Cabinet Secretary for Health Susan Wafula on Monday, October 31 took over office from the outgoing CS Mutahi Kagwe.
Speaking during the handover ceremony at Afya House, Kagwe expressed confidence in his successor to deliver and build on his successes at the crucial ministry.
“I am confident that my successor will be able to steer this ministry even further from where I have left it and I wish her all the best,” Kagwe said.
At the same time, Kagwe thanked the media for a good working relationship during his time at the helm of the Ministry of Health.
He said the media did an excellent job of informing and educating the masses at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in the country.
Kagwe, who often reprimanded Kenyans for dropping the guard at a time the country was recording thousands of cases and tens of deaths, teased social media users for their viral humorous reactions ‘memes’ to his statements at the time.
“I really want to thank the media, all those days you came and stood in front here waiting for a press conference every single day without fail,” Kagwe said.
“I know you made a lot of memes about me but I think the work that the media has done for this ministry has made our communication team’s work successful,” he added.
He noted that due to the media, many lives were saved.
“Without you, the successes of COVID-19, the number of people who died could have been a lot more. The role you played in terms of educating and informing our people is what, to a large extent saved us as a nation,” Kagwe stated.
Covid-19 crisis
Kagwe took over the helm of the health docket in February 2020, a time when the world was starting to feel the heat of the Covid-19 pandemic.
And when Kenya recorded its first case in mid-March of the same year, he was hailed as a man who inspired confidence at a time the country needed it most.
He took over from Sicily Kariuki in a Cabinet reshuffle effected by retired President Uhuru Kenyatta.
