The Strathmore Business School (SBS) Prism Centre is proud to see three members of its research team embark on an exciting new chapter in their lives: pursuing Master’s degrees at leading universities in the United Kingdom.
Dr. Victor Mulelo, Dr. Darian Ivayo, and Ms. Brenda Ouma have each brought their unique expertise and perspectives to Prism’s work, contributing to research spanning digital health, health policy, health systems and health workforce governance.
Their postgraduate studies offer an opportunity to deepen their knowledge, strengthen their research skills and engage with new ideas and perspectives, while building on the experiences they have gained at Prism. As they take this next step, they carry with them a shared commitment to generating and translating evidence that can strengthen health systems and inform health policy and practice in Kenya and beyond.
Below, they reflect on their journeys so far, the work they have undertaken at Prism and the aspirations that lie ahead.
Dr. Victor Mulelo – Pharmacist, Research Assistant – Prism Centre
My academic and professional journey has been shaped by a deep interest in policy, regulation and financing of digital health. I am honoured to have been awarded the prestigious Chevening Scholarship to pursue a Master of Science in Health Policy, Planning and Financing, jointly offered by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). This opportunity represents an important next step in my journey as a health policy and systems researcher and will allow me to deepen my understanding of how evidence can inform more effective and equitable digital health policies.
My work at the Strathmore University Prism Centre has particularly focused on two interconnected areas. The first is the operation and regulation of online pharmacies, where I have examined the opportunities, risks and policy considerations associated with the rapid growth of e-pharmacies in the global south. The second is health workforce governance, specifically the strengthening of workforce planning and decision-making through the development of a national, integrated and interoperable Health Workforce Information System.
These experiences have strengthened my interest because as digital technologies increasingly transform the way health services are delivered, there is a growing need for governance frameworks that balance innovation with patient safety, equity, accountability and sustainability.
As I begin my Master’s journey in the United Kingdom, I look forward to building on the foundation I have developed at Strathmore while contributing to impactful research and policy conversations.
Dr. Darian Ivayo – Pharmacist, Research Assistant – Prism Centre
Looking back at my Master’s application journey, I honestly don’t know how I managed to juggle it all. Between fieldwork, deadlines, applications, documents, financial requirements, and all the uncertainty that came with waiting, I wondered if I was doing too much. It was exhausting trying to keep up with my responsibilities while simultaneously working towards a dream that sometimes felt so far away. There were late nights, stressful days, countless revisions, and moments of doubt, but I kept going.
My journey towards pursuing a Master’s has also been deeply shaped by the work I have been doing at Strathmore, particularly my involvement in the Governance and Management of Human Resources for Health project, where I have contributed to work on the professionalisation of Community Health Workers (CHWs).
This experience has strengthened my interest in understanding how health systems can better support, professionalise, and integrate community-based health workers into primary health care. It also provided an opportunity to share this work internationally when I travelled to Oxford, where I presented a poster on the project and was honoured to receive the award for Best Poster Presentation. The experience was particularly significant for me, as it not only affirmed the value of the work I had been contributing to, but also solidified my desire to pursue postgraduate studies in the UK.
As I begin my MSc in Global Public Health with Data Science at the University of Westminster, I hope to build on this experience by further exploring issues around community health, health systems, and the role of data in strengthening decision-making and health workforce management.
I am particularly interested in continuing the work I have started on the professionalisation of Community Health Workers and, where possible, incorporating elements of this work into my thesis. I also look forward to using the opportunity to build new academic and professional networks in the UK, while strengthening existing connections and creating new opportunities for collaboration between these networks and Strathmore University.
Ultimately, I hope to bring the knowledge, skills, and relationships gained through this experience back into my work and contribute meaningfully to strengthening health systems in Kenya and beyond.
I’m beyond ecstatic, grateful, and honestly a little emotional. This feels like one of those moments where you pause and realise, wow… A dream that started as an idea, that required so much faith, work, and perseverance, is now becoming my reality.
Here’s to a new chapter; to London, to new experiences, new challenges, new people, and to growing both personally and professionally. Most importantly, here’s to finally watching something I worked so hard for become a reality.
The dream is no longer just a dream; I’m going to make it happen.
Ms. Brenda Ouma – Political Scientist, Research Assistant – Prism Centre
If I was to describe it in a sentence, I would say that my academic and professional journey has been shaped by a strong interest in understanding how health systems and governance influence population health outcomes. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Sociology from the University of Nairobi and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Health Research Methods from the Pwani University and KEMRI-Wellcome Trust IDeAL Research Programme.
In my work as a Research Assistant with Prism, I have been involved in different projects aimed at improving health workforce governance. My current work under the HRH Project seeks to understand health workforce internship in Kenya with the aim of providing policy insights for better management of healthcare interns. Previously, I have been involved in the development of the Kenya Health Human Resources Advisory Council (KHHRAC) inaugural Strategic Plan as well as providing technical assistance to the Presidential Taskforce for human resources for health; all aimed at the better management of the health workforce in Kenya.
Looking ahead to the next phase of my academic journey, I will be pursuing a Master of Public Health (MPH) at the University of Manchester, funded by the Global Futures Scholarship Africa. This program represents a natural progression in my commitment to health systems research. My areas of interest include health systems, policy processes, health workforce governance and the interplay of power and politics in health decision-making.
I hope to gain rigorous training in these fields, and to be able to translate evidence into policy.
