Dr. Simon Kipchichir Kibias OGW, MPH

Dr. Simon Kipchichir Kibias founded the Public Health Society of Kenya (PHSK) to promote public health and elevate the importance of public health practitioners in Kenya. Simon is passionate about public health and has dedicated his career to promoting and supporting public health programs.

He helped revamp the Disaster Risk Management Division and pioneered operationalization of the Public Health Emergency Operation Center which have become part of the now formed National Public Health Institute. He also developed the first All Hazard Plan, a draft emergency supply chain under Afya Ugafi, and the first Kenya health sector referral strategy and guidelines.

As director of health standards, on several occasions he chaired the COVID-19 pandemic task force and drafted advisories and guidelines for COVID-19 management in support of the Office of the Director General for Health. He served as the Kenya virtual team lead  based in Nairobi for the 74th World Health Assembly.

Simon began his career as a medical officer intern at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital and then worked as a general practitioner for four years in Samburu County. He joined the National Tuberculosis Program from 2001 to 2007.

In 2008, he became the first provincial director of public health and sanitation for Western Province. He provided technical assistance to the Botswana tuberculosis program, where he helped Botswana develop their first TB/HIV collaborative policy.

Simon is now the acting director for the standards and quality assurance docket at the Ministry of Health and a committee member for the establishment of a 4,000-bed futuristic national referral hospital in the northern Rift Valley of Kenya.

In 2012, he received the Order of Grand Warrior (OGW), a presidential recognition for dedication to public service and was a board member for the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (national level six) from 2013 to 2019.

He has a bachelor’s degree in medicine and surgery from the Graduate School of Health Sciences at Nairobi University and a Master of Public Health degree from Vrije Universiteit Netherlands.