Dr. Grace Wanjiku Kariuki

Dr. Grace Wanjiku Kariuki is one of Kenya's most experienced medical oncologists, dividing her practice between Kenyatta National Hospital — East Africa's largest public teaching hospital — and Nairobi Hospital, one of the region's most sophisticated private facilities. Her dual appointment gives her both the breadth of a high-volume public oncology service and the resources and multidisciplinary infrastructure of a well-equipped private cancer centre, making her a versatile clinician well placed to manage cancer across the socioeconomic spectrum of Kenyan patients.

With 16 years in oncology, Dr. Kariuki has developed deep expertise in the cancers most prevalent in Kenya: breast cancer, which is the leading cancer in women; cervical cancer, which remains highly prevalent due to HPV exposure and historically limited screening access; and Kaposi's sarcoma, which occurs at elevated frequency in Kenya's HIV-positive population. She has also extensive experience in colorectal cancer and haematological malignancies including leukaemia and lymphoma.

Dr. Kariuki completed her oncology fellowship training in South Africa and India — two regions that have invested heavily in cancer care infrastructure and represent the highest standard of oncology training available to African physicians outside Europe and North America. She returned to Kenya committed to advancing cancer care locally and reducing the burden of late-stage presentation that characterises much of sub-Saharan African oncology. She is a member of the Africa Cancer Research Group and the Kenya Association of Physicians.

Dr. Kariuki received her MBChB from the University of Nairobi and subsequently completed a Master of Medicine in Internal Medicine at the same institution, gaining broad-based clinical training that underpins her medical oncology practice. Recognising that oncology subspecialisation was not then available at the MMed level in Kenya, she pursued dedicated Fellowship training in Oncology — including periods at major cancer institutions in South Africa and India. Her Fellowship provided exposure to modern chemotherapy protocols, targeted therapy, biological agents, radiation oncology coordination, palliative care principles, and clinical cancer research methodology. This training positioned her among the first wave of Kenyan physicians with formally accredited oncology specialisation.

Dr. Kariuki's clinical work centres on medical oncology — the use of systemic therapies including chemotherapy, targeted agents, hormonal therapy, and immunotherapy to treat cancer. She conducts comprehensive cancer staging evaluations using CT imaging, PET scanning where available, bone marrow biopsy, and pathological review, ensuring treatment is based on precise disease characterisation before therapy commences.

For breast cancer, she manages early-stage disease with adjuvant chemotherapy and hormonal therapy, and advanced disease with palliative systemic regimens — including HER2-targeted therapy for appropriate patients. In cervical cancer, she coordinates concurrent chemotherapy with radiation therapy for locally advanced cases and manages systemic chemotherapy for metastatic disease. Kaposi's sarcoma, which she sees frequently in HIV-positive patients, is managed with antiretroviral optimisation alongside systemic chemotherapy using liposomal doxorubicin or paclitaxel.

Dr. Kariuki places a strong emphasis on palliative care as an integral component of oncology — not a last resort, but a parallel pathway supporting quality of life from diagnosis. She is experienced in pain management, anti-emetic protocols, nutritional support for cancer patients, and end-of-life care planning. She performs bone marrow aspirates and trephine biopsies for haematological malignancy staging and uses these to guide chemotherapy selection for leukaemia and lymphoma patients.

Dr. Kariuki is a member of the African Cancer Research Group and has contributed to multi-centre African studies examining breast cancer biology and treatment outcomes in Black African women — a population often underrepresented in global oncology trials. Her publications include papers in the African Journal of Cancer and the East African Medical Journal addressing chemotherapy access, late-stage cancer presentation rates, and the intersection of HIV and cancer in Kenyan patients. She has presented research at the African Organisation for Research and Training in Cancer (AORTIC) biennial congress and has participated in capacity-building workshops for oncology nursing staff at Kenyatta National Hospital.

Nairobi has emerged as East Africa's primary destination for medical tourists seeking cancer care, and Dr. Kariuki is positioned at the heart of this trend. She sees patients from Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, and the DRC, as well as international expatriates and Kenyan diaspora members visiting for treatment. Nairobi Hospital and Kenyatta National Hospital both offer established pathways for international patients, with the private Nairobi Hospital offering particularly comprehensive international patient coordination services.

Dr. Kariuki conducts video consultations for international patients who want to discuss pathology reports, staging scans, and treatment options before travelling to Nairobi. She is experienced in reviewing pathology from overseas laboratories and assessing whether a diagnosis warrants re-confirmation with Kenyan pathology services. She provides detailed written treatment plans for patients wishing to continue chemotherapy with a local oncologist upon returning to their home country. Consultations are available in English and Swahili.

Dr. Kariuki has been recognised by the Kenya Association of Physicians for her contributions to cancer care in the public health sector and for her role in expanding access to oncology services at Kenyatta National Hospital — an institution that manages a disproportionately high share of Kenya's most complex cancer cases with limited resources. She received acknowledgement from the African Cancer Research Group for her contributions to the Group's multi-centre research agenda. Her peers describe her as a compassionate clinician who combines scientific rigour with genuine patient advocacy, particularly for patients navigating cancer diagnosis and treatment without adequate support networks.