Baraka is not your typical numbers guy charged with keeping his finger on the financial pulse of a top-tier hospital. For starters, that role is usually entrusted to men and women aged 50 years and above. Based on their experience, they are considered a safe bet for the crucial position.
Baraka, however, at only 29 years of age, has been doing an excellent job steering Gertrude’s Children’s Hospital into a path that ensures that the whole organisation thrives.
Secondly, unlike most numbers guys who only focus on the balance sheet, Baraka cuts the image of a pseudo-doctor given his in-depth understanding of paediatrician care.
“I never thought I would find myself in healthcare, but it’s an exciting field, primarily from the impact we create. We are offering a service at the end of which a child is well,” says the CFO, who sees his work beyond finance. He believes in leading from the heart.
"My journey began on campus, and my first job was being voted in as the Chairman for my university, which was very interesting as it was mostly political. I learned the delicate balance between doing what is right and doing what is required."
He joined the hospital as a Finance manager and was soon promoted to his current position. Before Gertrude’s, he was at Deloitte and Touché, a Big Four global accounting firm he joined, fresh from graduating from Kimathi University College with a Bachelor’s in Actuarial Science.
He soon rose through the ranks to become a senior auditor and head of audit.
Most of his leadership skills, he says, were honed at the Nyeri campus.
“My journey began on campus, and my first job was being voted in as the Chairman for my university, which was very interesting as it was mostly political. I learned the delicate balance between doing what is right and doing what is required. It’s tempting to look at student leadership as purely activism,” he adds.
Beyond his day-to-day operations at the hospital, Kerich does some volunteering work.
Currently, with his friends from his former workplace, Deloitte, Baraka says they volunteer to advise hospitals in Marsabit County on operations, processes, and systems to ensure sustainability.
Volunteering is in his blood, having offered free services for one year in 2012, teaching Maths and English at a local school.
Baraka believes numbers are essential in the operations of any organization, with the surplus being reinvested to enhance service delivery.
Kepha Muiruri