Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) acting chief executive, Dr Joshua Clinton Okise, has been named CEO of the Year at the Kenya Leadership Awards 2026.
Dr Okise received the award at a ceremony in Nairobi on 22 September, attended by industry leaders, senior professionals and academics.
Organisers said an independent jury assessed nominees on strategic leadership, operational performance, innovation, governance and contribution to society.
The award comes about 395 days after Dr Okise took over as acting CEO, during a period in which JOOTRH has undertaken changes to its finances, clinical services, technology and infrastructure.
Dr Joshua Clinton Okise has been named CEO of the Year at the Kenya Leadership Awards 2026, recognising his leadership, professional excellence and contribution to organisational growth.
The award celebrates his achievements and leadership journey, marking another milestone in his career.
One of the most significant changes has been in revenue collection and billing.
Hospital revenue increased from about Sh290m, including Exchequer support, to approximately Sh1.5bn in the 2025/26 financial year, according to figures provided by the hospital.
Dr Okise, who has a background in finance, has overseen efforts to strengthen revenue collection and address financial leakages.
JOOTRH has also expanded specialised medical services, including open-heart surgery in Kisumu, video-assisted thoracic surgery and cardiothoracic and vascular surgery.
The hospital has also expanded neurosurgery and paediatric neurosurgery services.
It has introduced automated red blood cell exchange for patients with sickle cell disease.
The hospital says mortality among children enrolled in the programme has fallen to 2.2%.
Cancer services have also been expanded, including same-day biopsy results and wider breast cancer screening.
A cancer registry covering 4,525 cases recorded between 2012 and 2025 has also been established.
Earlier this year, JOOTRH and Safaricom broke ground on a KSh98m neonatal intensive care unit and paediatric intensive care unit at Obama Children’s Hospital.
The hospital is also pursuing the digitisation of its services through Hospital Management Information System and Enterprise Resource Planning systems.
Other infrastructure projects include the installation of ramps and lifts, development of a cancer centre and renovation of theatres.
JOOTRH says it has received 92 pieces of surgical and critical-care equipment and established an in-house blood bank.
Through its JOOTRH Mashinani programme, the hospital has taken specialised and preventive healthcare services to communities through free fistula and ear, nose and throat camps, dental services and screening for diabetes, hypertension and mental health conditions.
The hospital has also received accreditation from the College of Surgeons of East, Central and Southern Africa (COSECSA) for orthopaedic training and expanded its research partnerships.
The developments come as JOOTRH transitions towards becoming a Level 6A national teaching and referral hospital and a national parastatal.
The award recognises Dr Okise’s leadership during the transition, while the hospital says the changes are part of a wider effort to strengthen its role in specialised healthcare, training and research.
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