The Kenya Medical Association (KMA) has mourned the death of Dr David Silverstein, a pioneering cardiologist whose medical career was closely linked to the development of modern heart care in Kenya.
In a statement dated September 13, 2026, KMA described Dr Silverstein as a prolific physician whose service had a significant impact on Kenya’s healthcare landscape.
Dr David Silverstein’s contribution to Kenya’s healthcare
Dr Silverstein began playing a significant role in Kenya’s medical sector in the 1970s, working across both the public and private healthcare sectors.
One of his major contributions was helping establish the country’s first cardiac catheterization laboratory at Kenyatta National Hospital. According to the Kenya Medical Association, the facility helped usher in an era of modern heart care in Kenya.
His career therefore became closely intertwined with the development of Kenya’s medical profession and the country’s broader healthcare history.
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He helped train generations of Kenyan doctors
Beyond his work as a cardiologist, Dr Silverstein contributed to medical education and professional development.
The Kenya Medical Association said he helped teach some of the earliest generations of doctors trained after Kenya’s independence.
He also held a strong belief that doctors should be leaders, a philosophy reflected in his many years of service at The Nairobi Hospital.
Dr Silverstein served as Daniel arap Moi’s personal physician
Dr Silverstein also had a long association with Kenya’s political leadership.
He served as personal physician to Kenya’s second President, the late Daniel arap Moi, for more than 40 years, until Moi’s death.
His medical expertise also earned him the trust of other prominent figures, including the late Charles Njonjo and former South African President Nelson Mandela. However, the KMA said people who knew him confirmed that he showed the same devotion to every patient he treated.
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His life and career documented in a memoir
Dr David Silverstein documented his extraordinary experience in Kenya in his 2023 memoir, Heartbeat: An American Cardiologist in Kenya.
The memoir provides an account of his medical career and experiences in the country, where he spent decades contributing to the development of healthcare.
Kenya Medical Association pays tribute
The Kenya Medical Association said Dr Silverstein’s death represents a significant loss to Kenya’s medical fraternity and the nation.
The association noted that his lifetime of knowledge and experience cannot easily be replaced, while highlighting the doctors he influenced, the patients he treated and the example of service he demonstrated throughout his career.
KMA President Dr Ibrahim Matende conveyed condolences to Dr Silverstein’s family, friends and those who knew him on behalf of the association’s leadership and membership.
A lasting legacy in Kenyan medicine
Dr David Silverstein’s career spanned several decades of significant change in Kenya’s healthcare sector. From helping establish the country’s first cardiac catheterization laboratory to teaching early generations of post-independence doctors, his work left a lasting mark on Kenyan medicine.
His legacy extends beyond individual patients to the medical professionals he influenced and the institutions in which he served.
The Kenya Medical Association described his passing as a major loss while expressing gratitude for the knowledge he shared and the example of service he left behind.
