Stanley Aruyaru
Dr. Stanley Aruyaru is a Kenyan general and laparoscopic surgeon who blends scalpel skills with systems thinking to expand access to safe, affordable surgery. He earned his MBChB from Moi University, completed a Master of Medicine in General Surgery at Aga Khan University, and is pursuing a PhD in Global Surgery at the University of Cape Town, where his research focuses on strengthening surgical referral networks across East Africa.
A Fellow of COSECSA, the American College of Surgeons (FACS), and the East, Central & Southern Africa Health-care Management Fellowship (FeHSM), Dr. Aruyaru heads the division of minimal-access surgery at a leading mission hospital in central Kenya, performing more than 700 laparoscopic procedures annually and training residents on low-cost simulation rigs of his own design. He co-chairs Kenya’s National Laparoscopy Taskforce, which is piloting day-surgery hubs and negotiating pooled procurement of equipment to cut patient costs by 40 percent.
Beyond the operating theatre he directs the nonprofit Safe Scalpel Initiative, supplying rural hospitals with pulse oximeters and sponsoring COSECSA exam fees for young surgeons. A prolific writer and podcaster, he demystifies surgical care for the public while advocating data-driven policy at the Ministry of Health. Dr. Aruyaru’s overarching goal: make quality surgery an essential, equitable component of primary health care in Africa.