Eunice Muringo Kiereini facts for kids

Eunice Muringo Kiereini (born in 1939) is a retired nurse from Kenya. She was Kenya's top nursing leader, called the Chief Nursing Officer, from 1968 to 1986. Her job was to guide and improve nursing care across Kenya after the country became independent. She has worked with many health groups both in Kenya and around the world. She also made history as the first African president of the International Council of Nurses (ICN).

Eunice's Early Life and Education

Eunice Muringo Githae was born on September 24, 1939, in Kerugoya, Kenya. Her parents were both teachers. After finishing high school at Loreto High School in Limuru, she traveled to the United Kingdom.

She trained to become a nurse at Southampton General Hospital from 1959 to 1962. After becoming a qualified nurse, she continued her studies. She went to the Simpson Memorial Maternity Pavilion in Edinburgh, Scotland, to train as a midwife. She finished this training in 1964.

Training and Important Roles

When she returned to Kenya, she worked at George VI Hospital, which is now known as Kenyatta National Hospital. She then went for more training at the Victoria University School of Nursing in Wellington, New Zealand.

Back in Kenya, she took on a very special role. She became the private nurse for Kenya's first President, Jomo Kenyatta. Starting in 1967, she played a big part in creating the National Nurses Association of Kenya. This important group was officially recognized by law in 1968.

Her Amazing Career in Nursing

Eunice Kiereini served as the Chief Nursing Officer at the Ministry of Health from 1968 to 1986. She took over this role from Margaret Wanjiru Koinange. During her time, she brought about many big changes and improvements in nursing and nursing education in Kenya.

Key Changes in Nursing

One major achievement was starting the first advanced nursing course in East Africa. This course was offered at Nairobi University. She also helped shift healthcare in Kenya. Before, nursing was mostly based in hospitals, a system from the colonial era. Eunice helped move towards more community nursing, where nurses worked directly with people in their communities.

She also helped create a new Nurses Act. This law gave professional nurses more independence and recognition for their important work. In the mid-1970s, she was part of a group that advised on health training in Africa. This project was supported by USAID. She was also a founding member of the Kenya Water for Health Organisation, which helped bring clean water to communities.

Leading on the World Stage

Eunice Kiereini made history by becoming the first African president of the International Council of Nurses (ICN). She held this important position from 1981 to 1985. Before that, she was a Board Member of the Commonwealth Nurses and Midwives Federation from 1977 to 1979.

In 1986, Tel Aviv University honored her with a special award called an Honorary Fellowship. In the early 1990s, she was a member of the Global Advisory Council on AIDS. She also worked in various ways with the World Health Organization (WHO). For example, she was the chairman of the Regional Nursing Task Force based in Nairobi. She has also been an advisor for the Rockefeller Foundation.

Since 2010, she has continued to serve in important roles. She has been the chairman of the council for the Flying Doctors Society of Africa. She also chaired Impact East Africa and served as a trustee for the Rattansi Educational Trust.