A few weeks earlier we had received word that she would be coming for a day to tour some of the facilities and sit in on some of the ongoing projects. She would also stop by campus in the evening to speak briefly to the staff. Immediately renovations were underway! The downstairs entry got a face lift as well as all four of the on site bathrooms. Now I can't say to what extent these changes were noticed but I know the staff here are grateful for the excuse to renovate. On top of construction changes the grounds were perked up a bit to get the place ready.
The day started to get interesting when we were informed at about noon of a lock down. All personnel were to remain inside of Kisian unless they did not want to return. At about 3:30pm all work stopped and the entire staff was ushered outside under tents to wait for her arrival. The doors were closed at 4:15 and no one was allowed to leave after this. Typical Kenyan time, the delegation arrived about 45 minutes late. I was actually surprised because I honestly thought they would not make it at all (the secretary had to catch a plane at 6:30pm).
After a few introductions, the U.S. Secretary of Health, Kathleen Sebelius, spoke briefly to the group. She talked about our achievements and the progress we've made thus far. She was adamant about the importance of future collaborations between the U.S. and Kenya and stressed the global nature of the work we were doing.
Overall, it was a nice afternoon. Do I think her visit changed my thoughts on public health or affected the work done here at CDC in any way? No. But I do think it was a good reminder of the importance of the government's role in our work. And its kind of cool to say I got to see her too! :)
Photos courtesy of CDC-Kenya
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