Our Leadership

Dr Gitahi joined Amref Health Africa on June 1, 2015. Until his appointment at Amref Health Africa, Dr Gitahi was the Vice President and Regional Director for Africa, Smile Train International, where he successfully established partnerships for long-term sustainability with various African governments. Prior to that he worked with the Nation Media Group, where he was the Managing Director for Monitor Publications in Uganda as well as General Manager for Marketing and Circulation in East Africa. He also held progressively senior positions at GlaxoSmithKline, Avenue Group and the insurance industry. Dr Gitahi has a Bachelor’s degree in Medicine and Surgery and a Masters in Business Administration, majoring in Marketing. Dr Gitahi is also the Co-Chair of the UHC2030 Steering Committee, a global World Bank and World Health Organization initiative for Universal Health Coverage (UHC). He is also member of the Private Sector Advisory Board of Africa CDC and of the World Health Organization’s Community Health Worker Hub. He is member of the Board of Directors of The Standard Group and holds Board member positions across Amref Health Africa offices in Africa

Mette Kjaer Kinoti joined Amref health Africa on June 5, 2018 as the Chief Programmes Officer. Mette is a seasoned Programme Development Leader and an expert in Strategic Leadership and Management; Organizational Development of Civil Society Organisations; Programme Management; Institutional Fundraising and Gender mainstreaming and women empowerment. Since December, 2014, Mette has been serving as the Vice President- Africa for Helen Keller International. Prior to this, Mette held different positions at Amref. Between November 2010 and November 2014, Mette served as Head of Programme Management at the Amref Headquarters. Mette was the Ag. Country Director, Amref in Ethiopia in December 2007 to January 2007 and also served as Country Director, Amref in Kenya for almost 10 years between January 2000 and October 2010. Between August 2005 and December 1999, Mette served as the Director of International Dep. For MS – Denmark, Country Director for MS-Kenya between April 1992 and July 1995 and Programme Coordinator & Deputy Director for Dansk AFS from 1989 to 1992. In her earlier career Mette worked as a Consultant for MS in Nepal, Ghana and Uganda and a social worker 1991 and 1992. Mette earned her Master of Food Science from the Royal Veterinary and Agriculture University, Copenhagen, Denmark and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in International Education and Development Studies from University of Copenhagen.

Jonathan Dutton joined Amref Health Africa as Group Chief Finance Officer in 2014. He was previously the Executive Director of Finance and Corporate Services at the London Legacy Development Corporation which was responsible for the regeneration of the area of London used for the 2012 Olympics. He had also been the Finance and Corporate Services Director at Oasis Community Learning Group. Prior to that he was a Managing Director in Corporate Finance at Deutsche Bank and UBS. Jonathan holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics and Accounting from the University of Wales. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

Starting off as a Flight Physician with AMREF’s Emergency Service, accompanying air ambulance flights in East Africa and beyond, Dr Vadera has been with AMREF Flying Doctors for the last 14 years. Dr Vadera obtained her Medical Degree from the Medical University in Hamburg, with specialisation in Emergency Medicine, Family Medicine and Tropical Medicine. Her PHD is in Nuclear Medicine from the University in Marburg and she is certified in ATLS (Advanced Trauma Life Support), ACLS (Advanced Cadiac Life Support), PHTLS (Pre-hospital Trauma Life Support) and PALS (Paediatric Advanced Life Support-Instructor). Dr Vadera has close to 2,000 hours experience in the field of medical patient transport, including ground ambulance, air ambulance and helicopter rescue and is a member of the EURAMI (European Aero-medical Institute) Board of Director.

Desta Lakew serves as the Director of Partnerships for Africa. In this role, she has been engaged in securing high level strategic partnerships with the private sector in Africa. Desta has served on the senior management team of Amref since 2014, establishing the Fundraising & Partnerships Directorate. A certified fundraising executive with more than a decade of fundraising and marketing experience, she is committed to promoting philanthropic giving by Africans for Africa. Prior to joining, she was the Director of Development at a New York based Foundation where she also served as Director of Marketing from 2006. She is a founding board member of the NY-Westchester Chapter of the National Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP). Her experience includes various roles in USA based university teaching hospitals and consulting with international organizations including the UNDP, and Public Health Innovations. Desta holds a Masters of Public Health from the State University of New York and currently serves on Acumen East Africa’s regional advisory board and the Working Group on Private Sector of Health Systems Global.

Angela Mucheru is a seasoned Human Resources professional with over 16 years’ experience in mainstream HR, consultancy and advisory in blue chip companies and development agencies. She has led HR functions at Tetra Pak covering Africa and Middle East and at Commercial Bank of Africa with HR advisory experience gained at KPMG and most recently at her current role as Associate Director at Cedar Consulting. Her countries of experience include East Africa, South Africa, Nigeria, Swaziland, Zambia, Namibia, Malawi, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Burundi, Djibouti, Sudan, Senegal, Pakistan, Turkey, Iran and Saudi Arabia. Angela holds an MBA in Strategic Management from United States International University - Africa (USIU-A) and a degree in HR from Daystar University and is a change management professional certified by PROSCI.

Samuel Weru joined Amref Health Africa in May 2015. He previously worked for Oxfam Great Britain as the Regional Information Systems Manager for the Horn, East and Central Africa in charge of Information Technology operations in 8 countries and regional centre. His last appointment in Oxfam was that of Associate Country Director for Oxfam, Somalia where he successfully turned round the Programme through aggressive resource mobilization and strategic leadership. Prior to joining Oxfam, he served as the IT Manager for Practical Action, a UK based international charity that uses sustainable technology solutions to challenge poverty where he established a fully-fledged hub for the region. Samuel holds a BSc. in Computer Science and an MBA in Management of Information Systems (MIS), both from the University of Nairobi. He is currently finalising his Phd. programme in Strategic Information Systems with special interest in Open Innovation Ecosystems for organizational Capability, Agility and Performance.

Jennifer joined Amref Health Africa in Canada in February 2012, bringing more than a decade of experience in directing communications and public relations programs in the non-profit sector. Jennifer oversees Amref Health Africa in Canada's external communications, including website, social media, newsletters and media relations. Before joining Amref Health Africa, Jennifer was Communications and Operations Director at Environmental Defence, a national environmental group. She previously worked in international development as the Public Relations Specialist for Plan Canada. Jennifer started her career as a journalist working for CBC Radio.

Frances joined Amref Health Africa UK as Chief Executive in August 2015. Frances has over 20 years’ experience in the not-for-profit sector focusing on leadership, strategy and communications. Her career reflects a passion for the promotion of access and inclusion for marginalised and disadvantaged groups, especially women and girls. In her role with Amref she continues to champion collaboration with communities which draws on local knowledge to find innovative and effective ways to increase access to healthcare. Frances was previously Director of Communications and Brand and Head of International Programme Engagement for Unicef UK. She also worked in Afghanistan to develop the communications strategy for the Ministry of Public Health’s Public-Private Partnerships programme to extend the provision of secondary and tertiary healthcare. From 2009 to 2012 Frances lived and worked in Swaziland, leading the evaluation of an experimental USAID-funded national HIV prevention programme and creating the communications strategy for the Ministry of Health for their new national Health Management Information System. Frances has an MSc in Development from the School of Oriental and African Studies in London.

Dr Joachim Osur is the Director of Regional Offices and Field Offices at Amref Health Africa. He is a public health and reproductive health specialist with wide experience in health programming in the African context. He has contributed immensely to health systems strengthening in various countries, health policy development and advocacy and development of models that have impacted thousands of lives. Among others, he holds a bachelors degree in Medicine and Surgery, a Masters Degree in Public Health, and a PhD in reproductive health.

Anne-Marie Kamanye is the Executive Director of Amref Health Africa in Canada. She was appointed to the role in 2011, after serving as the organization’s Director of International Programmes since 2006. Committed to women and children’s rights, Anne-Marie has extensive experience in international development. As Executive Director, Anne-Marie is responsible for continued growth and development of Amref Health Africa in Canada, providing leadership and strategic direction, preparing and monitoring budgets, carrying out policies and procedures developed by the Board of Directors and collaborating and engaging with Amref Health Africa in Africa. Anne-Marie was awarded the African Canadian Woman Achievement Award by the Endless Possibilities and Hope Development Organization in 2007.

Dr Gitahi joined Amref Health Africa on June 1, 2015. Until his appointment at Amref Health Africa, Dr Gitahi was the Vice President and Regional Director for Africa, Smile Train International, where he successfully established partnerships for long-term sustainability with various African governments. Prior to that he worked with the Nation Media Group, where he was the Managing Director for Monitor Publications in Uganda as well as General Manager for Marketing and Circulation in East Africa. He also held progressively senior positions at GlaxoSmithKline, Avenue Group and the insurance industry. Dr Gitahi has a Bachelor’s degree in Medicine and Surgery and a Masters in Business Administration, majoring in Marketing. Dr Gitahi is also the Co-Chair of the UHC2030 Steering Committee, a global World Bank and World Health Organization initiative for Universal Health Coverage (UHC). He is also member of the Private Sector Advisory Board of Africa CDC and of the World Health Organization’s Community Health Worker Hub. He is member of the Board of Directors of The Standard Group and holds Board member positions across Amref Health Africa offices in Africa

Mette Kjaer Kinoti joined Amref health Africa on June 5, 2018 as the Chief Programmes Officer. Mette is a seasoned Programme Development Leader and an expert in Strategic Leadership and Management; Organizational Development of Civil Society Organisations; Programme Management; Institutional Fundraising and Gender mainstreaming and women empowerment. Since December, 2014, Mette has been serving as the Vice President- Africa for Helen Keller International. Prior to this, Mette held different positions at Amref. Between November 2010 and November 2014, Mette served as Head of Programme Management at the Amref Headquarters. Mette was the Ag. Country Director, Amref in Ethiopia in December 2007 to January 2007 and also served as Country Director, Amref in Kenya for almost 10 years between January 2000 and October 2010. Between August 2005 and December 1999, Mette served as the Director of International Dep. For MS – Denmark, Country Director for MS-Kenya between April 1992 and July 1995 and Programme Coordinator & Deputy Director for Dansk AFS from 1989 to 1992. In her earlier career Mette worked as a Consultant for MS in Nepal, Ghana and Uganda and a social worker 1991 and 1992. Mette earned her Master of Food Science from the Royal Veterinary and Agriculture University, Copenhagen, Denmark and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in International Education and Development Studies from University of Copenhagen.

Jonathan Dutton joined Amref Health Africa as Group Chief Finance Officer in 2014. He was previously the Executive Director of Finance and Corporate Services at the London Legacy Development Corporation which was responsible for the regeneration of the area of London used for the 2012 Olympics. He had also been the Finance and Corporate Services Director at Oasis Community Learning Group. Prior to that he was a Managing Director in Corporate Finance at Deutsche Bank and UBS. Jonathan holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics and Accounting from the University of Wales. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

Starting off as a Flight Physician with AMREF’s Emergency Service, accompanying air ambulance flights in East Africa and beyond, Dr Vadera has been with AMREF Flying Doctors for the last 14 years. Dr Vadera obtained her Medical Degree from the Medical University in Hamburg, with specialisation in Emergency Medicine, Family Medicine and Tropical Medicine. Her PHD is in Nuclear Medicine from the University in Marburg and she is certified in ATLS (Advanced Trauma Life Support), ACLS (Advanced Cadiac Life Support), PHTLS (Pre-hospital Trauma Life Support) and PALS (Paediatric Advanced Life Support-Instructor). Dr Vadera has close to 2,000 hours experience in the field of medical patient transport, including ground ambulance, air ambulance and helicopter rescue and is a member of the EURAMI (European Aero-medical Institute) Board of Director.

Desta Lakew serves as the Director of Partnerships for Africa. In this role, she has been engaged in securing high level strategic partnerships with the private sector in Africa. Desta has served on the senior management team of Amref since 2014, establishing the Fundraising & Partnerships Directorate. A certified fundraising executive with more than a decade of fundraising and marketing experience, she is committed to promoting philanthropic giving by Africans for Africa. Prior to joining, she was the Director of Development at a New York based Foundation where she also served as Director of Marketing from 2006. She is a founding board member of the NY-Westchester Chapter of the National Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP). Her experience includes various roles in USA based university teaching hospitals and consulting with international organizations including the UNDP, and Public Health Innovations. Desta holds a Masters of Public Health from the State University of New York and currently serves on Acumen East Africa’s regional advisory board and the Working Group on Private Sector of Health Systems Global.

As the Country Director, Dr Ndirangu provides overall strategic leadership to the Country Programme, working with the Senior Management Team of Amref Health Africa in Kenya. Prior to this he worked as the Head of Programmes for Amref Health Africa in Kenya Country from January 2011 – October 2014 where he provided leadership in: strategic planning for clinical & diagnostics program; program development; programmatic performance management; quality improvement; monitoring & evaluation; staff development. Dr Ndirangu holds an Executive Master of Business Administration (2010); Master of Public Health (2006); Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (1996); extensive leadership development (2009 to 2011); Executive/Professional Coach accredited through the UK Academy of Executive Coaching (2014).

Angela Mucheru is a seasoned Human Resources professional with over 16 years’ experience in mainstream HR, consultancy and advisory in blue chip companies and development agencies. She has led HR functions at Tetra Pak covering Africa and Middle East and at Commercial Bank of Africa with HR advisory experience gained at KPMG and most recently at her current role as Associate Director at Cedar Consulting. Her countries of experience include East Africa, South Africa, Nigeria, Swaziland, Zambia, Namibia, Malawi, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Burundi, Djibouti, Sudan, Senegal, Pakistan, Turkey, Iran and Saudi Arabia. Angela holds an MBA in Strategic Management from United States International University - Africa (USIU-A) and a degree in HR from Daystar University and is a change management professional certified by PROSCI.

Samuel Weru joined Amref Health Africa in May 2015. He previously worked for Oxfam Great Britain as the Regional Information Systems Manager for the Horn, East and Central Africa in charge of Information Technology operations in 8 countries and regional centre. His last appointment in Oxfam was that of Associate Country Director for Oxfam, Somalia where he successfully turned round the Programme through aggressive resource mobilization and strategic leadership. Prior to joining Oxfam, he served as the IT Manager for Practical Action, a UK based international charity that uses sustainable technology solutions to challenge poverty where he established a fully-fledged hub for the region. Samuel holds a BSc. in Computer Science and an MBA in Management of Information Systems (MIS), both from the University of Nairobi. He is currently finalising his Phd. programme in Strategic Information Systems with special interest in Open Innovation Ecosystems for organizational Capability, Agility and Performance.

Frances joined Amref Health Africa UK as Chief Executive in August 2015. Frances has over 20 years’ experience in the not-for-profit sector focusing on leadership, strategy and communications. Her career reflects a passion for the promotion of access and inclusion for marginalised and disadvantaged groups, especially women and girls. In her role with Amref she continues to champion collaboration with communities which draws on local knowledge to find innovative and effective ways to increase access to healthcare. Frances was previously Director of Communications and Brand and Head of International Programme Engagement for Unicef UK. She also worked in Afghanistan to develop the communications strategy for the Ministry of Public Health’s Public-Private Partnerships programme to extend the provision of secondary and tertiary healthcare. From 2009 to 2012 Frances lived and worked in Swaziland, leading the evaluation of an experimental USAID-funded national HIV prevention programme and creating the communications strategy for the Ministry of Health for their new national Health Management Information System. Frances has an MSc in Development from the School of Oriental and African Studies in London.

Bob Kelty has 25 years of experience working with impoverished communities in East Africa, India and the United States. Before joining Amref Health Africa, Robert held leadership roles at Action Against Hunger, Coalition for the Homeless, Gere Foundation, and Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. Prior to his non-profit career, he spent five years working in the real estate and commodities industries. Bob has a B.S. in Business Administration from San Diego State University and completed his Master’s Degree in Public Administration at NYU's Wagner School.

Dr Joachim Osur is the Director of Regional Offices and Field Offices at Amref Health Africa. He is a public health and reproductive health specialist with wide experience in health programming in the African context. He has contributed immensely to health systems strengthening in various countries, health policy development and advocacy and development of models that have impacted thousands of lives. Among others, he holds a bachelors degree in Medicine and Surgery, a Masters Degree in Public Health, and a PhD in reproductive health.

Anne-Marie Kamanye is the Executive Director of Amref Health Africa in Canada. She was appointed to the role in 2011, after serving as the organization’s Director of International Programmes since 2006. Committed to women and children’s rights, Anne-Marie has extensive experience in international development. As Executive Director, Anne-Marie is responsible for continued growth and development of Amref Health Africa in Canada, providing leadership and strategic direction, preparing and monitoring budgets, carrying out policies and procedures developed by the Board of Directors and collaborating and engaging with Amref Health Africa in Africa. Anne-Marie was awarded the African Canadian Woman Achievement Award by the Endless Possibilities and Hope Development Organization in 2007.