Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha has sought the approval of Dr Patrick Amoth as director general for Health.
National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula in his message to the House said Nakhumicha is seeking Parliament to approve the nominee.
“You may wish to note that the approval of the appointment of a director general of Health is among one of the exceptions where the applicable law prescribes approval by the two Houses of Parliament,” Wetang'úla stated.
He said the vetting of the nominee shall be conducted by the Departmental Committee on Health of the National Assembly, jointly sitting with the Committee of the Senate.
“The quorum of the joint sittings of the committees will be the respective quorums of each of the committees as stipulated in the Standing Orders of the respective Houses,” he explained.
He added that unless a decision is reached by consensus, any vote to be taken in the joint sittings of the committees shall be by separate Houses.
“This will ensure that the numerical difference of the individual members representing the Houses in the joint sittings has no effect on the decisions of the joint sittings of the committees,” he said.
He said the Departmental Committee on Health shall submit their joint report on or before August 13, 2024 for consideration by the House.
Amoth is the acting Director General for Health in the Ministry of Health.
He has been acting in that position since January, 2020 after succeeding Dr John Masasabi.
Amoth is also the Vice President of the Executive Board of the World Health Organisation (WHO), representing the African region.
A consultant obstetrician and gynecologist of immense repute, Amoth previously headed the Directorate of Public Health at the Ministry.
He spearheaded strategy development for effective delivery of health services in all the 47 counties in Kenya and was centrally involved in the inception and alignment of Universal Health Coverage for the country.
