If matters went according to Alexander’s childhood dream, he would be saving souls at the pulpit as a priest and not in a suit and tie making waves in the healthcare sector.
Growing up, Alexander wanted to be a man of the cloth before that dream fizzled after three and a half years of joining the Order of St Augustine Seminary in 2004.
Upon deep reflection, he decided to quit seminary as the goals he wanted to achieve in life and how he wanted to achieve them, would only be better attained in the corporate world.
“I thought I would serve the Lord even better when I am outside the seminary because there is so much one can do outside the seminary.”
"I am passionate about healthcare and for me, it is not about just developing myself but impacting my community positively. GE Healthcare is a platform for me to bring that positive change"
That bold move in 2005, saw the father of three join Swift Global, now Liquid Telkom; MTN, Orange Telkom, Cisco International and then General Electric (GE) Eastern Africa where he is currently.
And it is at the firm, which he joined eight years ago and is currently the regional projects development director that he terms as the turning point in his career.
His role involves development of large-scale projects in health institutions across East Africa.
The second born in a family of nine has been at the centre of delivery of the first public comprehensive cancer centre in sub-Saharan Africa at the Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital (KUTRRH). “The centre is life-saving not only for my generation but for others to come. It is the step to finding a lasting solution to the cancer menace as doctors will be able to correctly detect, diagnose and treat the disease.”
He also developed and executed the Aga Khan University Hospital cancer centre, the first in East Africa in 2018 which has scanned over 1,000 patients.
“I am passionate about healthcare and for me, it is not about just developing myself but impacting my community positively. GE Healthcare is a platform for me to bring that positive change.”
Alexander is optimistic that with the comprehensive cancer centre at KUTRRH and advancement in research, the region will be able to lower cancer death rates through early screening because cancer is treatable.
“The impact of the centre is going to be massive, not only for Kenya but also for the region. We are hoping with this advancement, in the long run, we will be able to get a cure for cancer and we will be glad if that solution will come from Kenya,” he says with optimism.
When not dealing with healthcare matters, Alexander is active in charity work at Kwetu children’s home, Mother Theresa special home in Langata and Don Bosco Boys in Kuwinda, Karen, Nairobi.
Alexander holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Development Studies from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA), Master’s of Art in Development Studies from the same university and is completing his PhD while also pursuing an MBA from the University of Birmingham, UK.
-Collins Omulo
