Dr Kahaki Kimani has been a senior lecturer at the Department of Ophthalmology, University
of Nairobi since 2001. She holds a Bachelor of Medicine & Bachelor of Surgery and a Master
of Medicine in Ophthalmology from the University of Nairobi as well as a Master of Science
in Community Eye Health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. She is
a fellow of the College of Ophthalmology East Central & Southern Africa (COECSA). She
has been involved in training ophthalmologists from Kenya and many African countries.
She studied medicine at the University of Nairobi and graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine
and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) in 1993. She worked at a rural hospital, and seeing the
dire shortage of ophthalmologists in Kenya, she enrolled for a Master of Medicine in
Ophthalmology at the University of Nairobi. During this course, she realized there was a
glaring gap in knowledge and management of retinoblastoma, with most of the children with
retinoblastoma dying. Her dissertation clearly showed this; “A Review of Retinoblastoma at
Kenyatta National Hospital.” After completing her course in 2000, she joined the University
of Nairobi Department of Ophthalmology as a lecturer.
Since then, she has dedicated herself to improving the care and outcome of children with
retinoblastoma in Kenya. She has trained many ophthalmologists in Kenya and the region,
especially in the management of retinoblastoma.
She has been the principal investigator in several research projects and published widely in
peer-reviewed journals. Her most remarkable achievement is spearheading the Kenya
National Retinoblastoma Strategy, which has led to a dramatic improvement in treating
children with retinoblastoma. Through her leadership, Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi
is now one of the best centres south of the Sahara for treatment of retinoblastoma.
Her passion is to see every child suffering from retinoblastoma access the highest quality of
treatment regardless of their ability to pay for it.
