Some childhood moments can be defining. Jackie Kitulu’s defining moment happened when she was 7 years old. Suffering from a painful affliction all she knew was that the pain went away when a doctor cured her of her ailments. The kindness of a stranger opened up her life path, and she knew she wanted to do the same for others.
Her time at Precious Blood Riruta was spent ensuring that her marks would be strong enough to make it to medical school and excel she did. She joined the University of Nairobi in 1992 where just under 10% of her medic class was female. Armed with her medical qualification, Jackie went on to train at Kenyatta and Nairobi hospitals before opening her own private practice in 2004.
But at heart Jackie is the kind of person who is happiest when operating on multiple planes. In 2006 she was nominated as vice treasurer of the Kenya Medical Women’s Association and it opened up a new branch in her life that was all about service.
From there she was nominated to represent the healthcare industry on Kenya’s National Economic and Social Council. At her first meeting Jackie was shocked to find that out of 43 members representing Kenya’s various industries only 3 were women. To her chagrin the gender imbalances she had experienced in the medical field extended far beyond. It was a turning point. To her it was clear that female leadership provided a nuanced and important contribution that was often overlooked and underappreciated. Within the NESC she soon became known as “Madam Social Issues” with her persistent and continued focus on the heart and mind issues that are needed to drive national development.
Jackie had learned first-hand that policy could only be changed if one was part of the process, even though it required continued sacrifice. Little did she know that her biggest test was ahead of her. Founded in 1965, the KMA had never had a female chair. The association in many ways was an old boys’ club and medicine is very hierarchical. After serving in the Kenya Medical Association for a few years she felt it was time to vie for the top seat. It was time for change and after a toughly fought election Jackie Kitulu became the first female Chair of the Kenya Medical Association in 2016.
Before the dust could settle on her victory the 2016 doctors’ strike called by the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union took place. Though not the first it became the longest strike in Kenyan history. Together with the KMA Secretary Jackie found herself shuttling between the Union and Afya House acting as a neutral broker trying to bring a resolution in this difficult time. Her measured patience and ability to remove the sting from antagonistic positions became her most valuable asset. Juggling her patients, her teaching responsibilities and her family with the state of the national health sector was a difficult task. It turned out that all the hurdles she had crossed prior were only training ground. Having served in the public sector she knew the hardships medics had been facing in trying to serve their patients and the day resolution was reached between all parties was one of the happiest in her life. Jackie has gone on to serve in the World Medical Association, where once again she is one of few women presenting a different face of leadership in the field of medicine.
Calm, patient, energetic Dr Jackie Kitulu took the negative moniker Madam Social Issues and made it work for Kenya. Hongera Daktari for your continued service to your patients, the medical fraternity and our health sector!