H.E. Dr. Cleopa Kilonzo Mailu, EBS, EGH
Prior to his appointment in January 2018, as the Ambassador/Permanent
Representative of the Republic of Kenya to the United Nations in
Geneva, Amb. Dr. Cleopa Mailu was the Cabinet Secretary for Health since
2015. In his long and illustrious career in Public service, Dr. Mailu held key
Professional, Management and Leadership positions in the Ministry of
Health, Kenyatta National Teaching and Referral Hospital and the Private
Sector. He served as the Chief Executive Officer of the Nairobi Hospital, the
leading Private hospital in Kenya for 12 years.
Amb. Mailu was, in 1995, key in the conceptualization of the Health sector reforms in the Public Health
sector in Kenya and more recently, contributed in laying the framework and foundation for the
realisation of the Sustainable Development Goals having been instrumental in identification of Universal
Health Coverage as a national priority agenda for the Government of Kenya for the next four years. He
championed the establishment of the SDG Platform Kenya; a forum to optimize synergies to build on
existing partnerships and facilitate scaling up of Public Private Partnership around flagship programs in
Kenya to leverage and complement ongoing and planned investments by the national and county
governments.
Earlier in his career, Amb. Mailu practiced as a Clinical Geneticist; and worked in key management
positions including; Manager Casualty/Emergency Medicine; Quality Assurance Manager; Manager
Kenya Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI); Director, Division of Family Health that is
responsible for maternal health, family planning and child health among others; Director, National
Health Sector Reform Programme (1996-99). Dr. Mailu also contributed to Global health having
worked on many assignments as Project Officer for UNICEF India Country Office and Consultant for
UNICEF/NY-HQ and WHO/Geneva.
Amb. Mailu has in his extensive career served in diverse Boards and councils in health, banking,
education and labour sectors including Kenya coordinating mechanism on Global Fund. He served as
the Chairman of Federation of Kenya Employers (FKE); Chairman, Machakos University
College; Director Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA); Trustee National Social Security Fund (NSSF);
and Member, National Aids Control Council (NACC) among others.
Over the period Amb. Mailu received several commendations and honours from H.E. The President of
the Republic of Kenya as well as Professional bodies.
Amb. Dr. Cleopa Mailu is a qualified medical doctor (MB,CHB; 1984, University of Nairobi;
Msc. Med. Science (Genetics), University of Glasgow, UK) with special interest in Clinical Genetics and
In-Situ hybridization. He has extensive experience in strategy and policy formulation; organizational reengineering and development; medical Audit and corporate governance.
He is married to Theresa Mailu and a proud father to Dr. Dennis Mailu and Alex Mailu.