Dr. Waqo Erjesa, a malaria expert, has been appointed as the new CEO of the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (Kemsa). The agency’s board selected Erjesa over two other candidates, including the acting chief executive Andrew Mulwa.
In the interviews, Erjesa scored 83 percent, coming in second to Mulwa, who received 84 percent. Despite this, the board chose Erjesa, marking his successful second attempt for the position after he was passed over in 2018, despite leading in the initial interviews.
Erjesa is the fourth CEO of Kemsa in the past four years. He succeeds John Manjari, who served until he was removed during the Covid-19 pandemic, followed by Terry Ramadhani, who was dismissed amid a scandal related to the procurement of mosquito nets.
With 15 years of experience in the health sector, Erjesa has previously led the National Tuberculosis, Leprosy, and Lung Diseases program and the National Malaria Control Programme. During his tenure with the malaria program, he secured over $200 million from the Global Fund, USAID, and DFID to support universal malaria control interventions.
