Doctor.
Businessman.
Writer.

Dr. Nicholas Okumu is an orthopaedic surgeon and a dynamic leader in the healthcare sector in Kenya.
He has served as the Head of the Department of Orthopaedics at Kenyatta National Hospital and currently leads the Orthopaedic Oncology Unit at the same institution. He is an honorary lecturer in the department of Surgery at the University of Nairobi.

He also currently while working with Operation Smile and in collaboration with the Ministry of Health in Kenya, is working to develop and implement the National Surgical, Obstetric and Anaesthesia Plan (NSOAP) an important policy document that will guide the improvement of surgical access in Kenya.

In addition, Dr. Okumu is also the Managing Partner of Jasmine Healthcare (Jasmine Dental and Medical Centre LLP) a medical services provider based in Nairobi, Kenya. He is the former CEO of Stratus Medical and Imaging services Ltd a medical diagnostics provider also based in Nairobi, Kenya

He obtained a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree from the University of Dar-es-Salaam, a Master of Medicine (MMed) degree in Orthopaedic Surgery from the University of Nairobi and holds an MBA from the University of South Wales. His educational background is further enriched by specialized training in project management, health economics, artificial intelligence in healthcare and leadership from prestigious institutions like Harvard University, The London School of Economics and Policy, MIT, The University of Cape Town and the University of Washington.

As a 2024 Global Surgery Advocacy Fellow, a collaborative initiative by Operation Smile, the University of Global Health Equity, and the Nkafu Policy Institute, Dr. Okumu is passionately committed to enhancing surgical and specifically orthopaedic care, improving healthcare accessibility in Kenya, and mentoring future healthcare leaders. See some of the work they have done at www.sarcomalearning.africa. 

His main area of research currently focuses on the confluence of Artificial Intelligence and Healthcare where he is currently working on AI tools that solve diverse problems such as the production of prosthetics, diagnostics, healthcare delivery and even development of precision medicine tools for low resourced communities such as Kibera the largest slum area in Africa.

Lastly he is a published author of a work of Fiction, “Shadows behind The Screen” that focuses on the theme of the dangers that lurk in the online space and a soon to be released motivational work, “Selective Excellence – Embracing Intentional Focus Over the Myth of Work-Life Balance”.

He is a regular columnist in “The Star” Newspaper based in Nairobi and has published several landmark articles in publications such as Devex, IPS and Global Health Unfiltered delving into issue around Global Surgery.