David Silverstein. Photo/Courtesy
For more than four decades, American-born cardiologist Dr David Silverstein occupied a unique position in Kenya’s medical and political history.
Silverstein arrived in Kenya in 1974 expecting to build his career as a cardiologist.
Instead, he remained in the country for more than five decades, becoming a pioneer of cardiac medicine, a senior physician at Nairobi Hospital and the personal doctor of former President Daniel arap Moi.
His career also brought him into contact with some of Africa’s most prominent leaders, including former South African President Nelson Mandela.
Silverstein was born in Chicago in August 1944 and graduated from the University of Chicago Medical School in 1967. He later completed his residency in Seattle and specialised in cardiology at the University of Washington.
His medical career was preceded by military service in the United States Air Force, including a posting to Taiwan during the Vietnam War era.
After completing his cardiology training, Silverstein considered several destinations before settling on Kenya. He arrived in the country in 1974 and joined the University of Nairobi as a lecturer in medicine.
At the time, cardiology was still a developing specialty in Kenya. Silverstein became the only cardiologist among the medical school's teaching staff and played a major role in training medical students and postgraduate doctors.
He also worked at Kenyatta National Hospital, where he helped establish Kenya's first cardiac catheterisation laboratory, an important development in the diagnosis and treatment of heart disease.
By 1977, Silverstein had been appointed chief cardiothoracic physician for the Government of Kenya, bringing him closer to the country's political leadership.
Meeting Daniel arap Moi
Silverstein first treated Moi in 1977, when the latter was serving as Vice-President under President Jomo Kenyatta.
According to Silverstein's recollection, Moi's secretary contacted him and asked whether he could examine the Vice-President. Silverstein agreed to see him at Kenyatta National Hospital.
That first encounter eventually developed into one of the longest doctor-patient relationships involving a Kenyan president.
Moi became President in 1978 following Kenyatta's death, while Silverstein continued treating him. In 1983, Silverstein was formally appointed Moi's personal physician.
For the next several decades, he became one of the few doctors with sustained access to the Head of State, accompanying Moi on foreign trips and monitoring his health.
The relationship extended beyond medicine. Silverstein later recalled conversations with Moi about religion, international affairs and Israel. The two also prayed together before some consultations.
Moi attended Silverstein's wedding, while the doctor remained closely involved with the former president even after he retired from State House in 2002.
Caring for Moi in his final years
Silverstein remained involved in Moi's treatment during the former president's final illness.
Moi was admitted to Nairobi Hospital in October 2019 and remained there for several months as doctors managed a series of health complications.
Silverstein was among the doctors involved in his care and remained closely associated with the former president's treatment.
Moi died at Nairobi Hospital on February 4, 2020, aged 95.
During the funeral ceremonies at Kabarak, Silverstein delivered a personal tribute to the former president and concluded with a Jewish memorial prayer.
The moment reflected the unusual relationship between the two men: an American Jewish doctor who had spent much of his adult life in Kenya and a Christian Kenyan president whose medical care he had overseen for decades.
Treating Nelson Mandela
Moi was not the only major African leader to receive treatment from Silverstein.
The cardiologist also treated Nelson Mandela while the future South African president was in Kenya.
Silverstein later recalled an encounter with Mandela in which the former South African leader recognised him by name after their medical encounter. Mandela reportedly joked about still being alive and praised Silverstein's medical skills.
The encounter left a lasting impression on the Kenyan-based physician, who was surprised that Mandela remembered him.
Silverstein also treated other senior political figures from the region during his long career.
Building Kenya's medical services
Silverstein's legacy extends beyond his work with political leaders.
In 1980, he moved from Kenyatta National Hospital to Nairobi Hospital, where he took charge of the intensive care unit.
Under his leadership, the unit expanded from three beds with limited equipment to a 10-bed facility with improved equipment and specially trained nurses.
He also became involved in efforts to combat hospital-acquired infections and improve the use of antibiotics.
His work included advising the Kenyan Government on infection control and antimicrobial practices.
His contribution to Kenyan medicine was formally recognised in 2002 when he was awarded the Elder of the Order of the Burning Spear (EBS).
A doctor surrounded by political intrigue
Silverstein's close relationship with Kenya's political establishment also made him the subject of suspicion.
Because he was an American citizen and Jewish, allegations occasionally emerged suggesting that he had links to foreign intelligence agencies.
Silverstein addressed some of those episodes in his memoir, Heartbeat: An American Cardiologist in Kenya, published in 2023.
He described encounters in which people questioned whether he was connected to Mossad or the CIA. However, such allegations have not been established by the evidence cited in accounts of his career.
His memoir provides an inside account of his decades in Kenya, including his relationship with Moi and his experiences treating powerful political figures.
A lifelong connection to Kenya
Silverstein's connection to Kenya ultimately lasted far longer than the temporary medical posting he initially envisaged.
He became a prominent figure in Kenya's Jewish community and served as chairman of the Nairobi Hebrew Congregation.
He was also working at Nairobi Hospital during the August 7, 1998 terrorist attack on the US Embassy in Nairobi and participated in treating victims brought to the hospital.
In 2023, the University of Chicago's Medical and Biological Sciences Alumni Association honoured him with a Distinguished Alumni Award.
His career therefore represents more than the story of a physician who treated a former Kenyan president.
Silverstein helped shape the development of cardiology and critical-care medicine in Kenya while simultaneously becoming a close medical confidant of Moi and a doctor to some of Africa's most recognisable political figures.
For a man who came to Kenya in 1974, what began as a professional assignment became a lifelong chapter in the country's medical and political history.