President William Ruto has appointed longtime humanitarian Abbas Gullet as the new Non-Executive Chairperson of the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) Board, replacing Dr. Samier Muravvej.
Gullet, who served as Secretary General of the Kenya Red Cross Society for close to two decades, will now take on the task of helping steer the country’s top referral hospital. His appointment takes effect from July 25 and will run for three years.
The announcement was made in a gazette notice that also confirmed the revocation of Dr. Muravvej’s position. She has since been reassigned to chair the National Syndemic Diseases Control Council.
Gullet is widely credited with growing the Red Cross into a more agile, responsive institution, introducing services like the E-Plus ambulance network that now serves thousands across the country.
His deep experience in crisis response and systems strengthening is expected to bring fresh perspective to KNH’s leadership.
“His track record speaks for itself. He’s led emergency response efforts, built systems from scratch, and understands what it means to serve at scale,” said a former colleague familiar with his work at the Red Cross.
In his new role, Gullet is expected to guide KNH’s board in ensuring good governance, accountability, and quality health services at the institution.
Beyond his local work, Gullet currently serves as Vice President for Africa at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
His contributions to humanitarian work have earned him national and global recognition including being named UN Person of the Year in Kenya (2007), and awards such as the Order of the Golden Warrior and Moran of the Burning Spear.
His journey began humbly in 1973, when as a Form One student at Mombasa Technical High School, he joined the Red Cross through the President’s Award Scheme a decision that would shape the rest of his life.
