KENYA – Pathologists Lancet Kenya (PLK) has appointed Ms Mwende Musunga as its new Chief Executive Officer, replacing the retiring founding partner and the group managing director Dr Ahmed Kalebi.

In a newspaper advertisement, the board of directors disclosed that  will be joining Lancet Group of Laboratories East Africa from June 1.

Ms Musunga has been Laborex Kenya Ltd chief executive for the past four years.

Dr Kalebi, who founded PLK in 2009 before it was acquired by French and South African partners, announced early this month that he would be proceeding on retirement on April 30.

He indicated that he would not be renewing his contract as consultant pathologist for the East Africa region and through his lawyer, sought a severance pay and preferred shares amounting to US$17.3 million from his partners.

The board said Dr Kalebi will remain as a shareholder at PLK and its subsidiaries in East Africa.

“Dr Kalebi is proceeding on a planned voluntary retirement, to dedicate more time to his family and pursue various personal interests,” the notice stated.

From a humble beginning in 2009, Dr Kalebi helped grow a network of more than 100 laboratories in 11 African countries including Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Botswana, Ghana, Mozambique, Nigeria, Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Dr Kalebi, a pathologist, set up Lancet Kenya as an offshoot of its parent company in South Africa and it operated under Pathologist Lancet Kenya (PLK) and Lancet Services Company (LSC).

In 2019, France-based multinational Cerba Healthcare bought shares in South Africa’s Lancet Laboratories for an undisclosed amount in a deal that saw it take control of the East African unit headed by Dr Kalebi.

Lancet SA holds a 49 per cent stake in the joint venture while Cerba Healthcare has 51 per cent.

Dr Kalebi had informed his partners of his intention to quit the firm on April 30 when his employment contract as East Africa CEO and chief consultant pathologist expires.

Dr Kalebi currently owns 7.67 per cent of PLK and 10 per cent of LSC, according to his attorney.

“Our client wants his shares in PLK and LSC to be converted into preferred shares and free from any dilution without our client’s consent,” his lawyer said.

In the notice , PLK also announced that Mr Matthieu Gogue had been appointed as the transition group managing director for six months while Dr Charles Wahome was appointed the incoming chief consultant.

Dr Wahome has been working at the firm since 2016, serving as Dr Kalebi’s deputy.