Dr Abbas Gullet, former Secretary General of the Kenya Red Cross has been honored for his extraordinary dedication and leadership in creating a caring society.
In a ceremony hosted by Ginadin Group for Brand Africa at Capital Club, Nairobi, several international and local brands were recognized for their impacts on economic prosperity and humane issues.
After accepting the prestigious award, Dr Abbas expressed his gratitude for the recognition and thanked the team at Kenya Red Cross for their dedication in the face of crisis, terming them his source of inspiration.
The good doctor’s resume is nothing short of a lifetime achievement with close to four decades of humanitarian work under his belt, having first become part of the Kenya Red Cross Society as an officer in 1985.
After various assignments in Kenya and overseas, he was assigned by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to Kenya in 2001.
During his tenure, Dr Abbas transformed the society into a vibrant entity. Kenya Red Cross is credited as among the few in the world, and the only humanitarian society in Africa that can cover its expenses without relying entirely on aid.
The society has several commercial entities under its umbrella including, Boma PanAfrican which is parent to the Boma group of Hotels and Boma International Hospitality College, Emergency Plus Medical Services (E-Plus), Switch Media, and the recently opened Switch Media School.
“Management and offering leadership to a society of this caliber may be viewed as a complex undertaking, however, it is not. I owe the success of the society to responsible teamwork and a clear vision of our duty. That is why we can provide not only humanitarian aid at the grassroots but also employment to the youth through our various commercial entities including Switch Media,” the doctor said.
He also dismissed uncertainties owed to government policies seeking to control non-governmental authorities.
“The Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) was founded in 1965 under the Kenya Red Cross Society Act (Chapter 256 Laws of Kenya) and officially acknowledged by the Kenyan government as a voluntary aid society working alongside public authorities,” he said.
He emphasized that owing to the aforementioned, the society would not presume to be in competition with the government or seek to undermine public authorities in any way, but work in partnership to provide humanitarian aid during a crisis.
