Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) will from next week camp in Kakamega to supervise the completion of stalled construction of Kakamega’s level-six hospital within six months.

Initially touted as the largest state-owned hospital (slightly  larger than Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi and Muhimbili Hospital in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania), the facility in Kakameega, western Kenya, stalled three years ago for lack of funding.

Until the Kakamega is completed, the Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi with an 800-bed capacity remains the largest hospital in East Central Africa at the moment.

During the 2022 presidential election campaign, President William Ruto made undertaking to complete the hospital, pave 1,000 kilometres of road and upgrade the Kakamega Airstrip to a full-fledged airport, in addition revamping the sugar industry in the region. Three years into his administration and two years before the next election cycle, President Ruto is yet to deliver the promises, which has made him unpopular and raised questions about his electability in 2027.

In Kakamega, Governor Fernandes Barasa welcomed the national government’s intervention to complete the hospital. The governor said the county government has allocated Ksh300 million to top up the Ksh500 million that the national government has committed to complete the facility.

The 900-bed Hospital is expected to create 5,000 jobs, promote medical tourism and provide learning and practical exposure to medical students. The completion of the hospital that was intended to take pressure off Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi and Moi Teaching and Referral in Eldoret by specialising in – among other services – the treatment of cancer, dialysis, hypertension and diabetes.

Governor Barasa made public plans by KDF to complete the hospital when he received Principal Secretary for Medical Services Ouma Oluga and his defence counterpart Patrick Mariru, who were on an inspection tour of the facility.

Dr Mariru assured the governor and the public in Kakamega, that KDF would supervise the completion of the project with local workforce.

“KDF will come to supervise work at the facility but those who will provide labour are people from Kakamega. In the next six months, some people will get their daily bread from the construction of the facility,” the PS said.

Mariru said that although it is the people of Kakamega who will benefit from the hospital, it remains an important facility for the whole country.

“I want to confirm, the hospital will be done on time and to the required standard and within the set budgets. There will be no jokes around here,” the principal secretary assured.

Principal Secretary for Medical Services Ouma Oluga said that, once complete, the government will equip the facility that will then be commissioned by President William Ruto, after which it will start offering health services to the public.

Dr Oluga said that equipping the hospital will be done through a programme known as the National Equipment Support, under which, equipment is provided at no upfront cost to the facility but is paid for by the government each time a patient uses it, through a health equipment financing model known as ‘V for Service’.

Oluga said that, since it is the government that pays for the equipment every time it is used the role of the patient is to register with the Social Health Authority (SHA) and start making their contributions. The principal secretary noted that the government is firm on ensuring that every Kenyan is able to access medical services in any hospital regardless of its Level.

“Every single citizen has the right to seek medication in any hospital without being worried of how much money he or she has and that is possible if all of us will registered with the Social Health Authority fund,” the principal secretary explained.

He announced that the national government has set aside Ksh21 billion for SHA to cover citizens to access health services without straining financially. Out of the amount, Ksh13 billion will be sent to disbursed to dispensaries and Level Four hospitals to cover primary healthcare.

The Ksh8 billion balance will cover costs of chronic illnesses such as treatment of cancer, surgeries and dialysis.

“Here in Kakamega we are doing well. We have registered about 48 per cent but there are 52 per cent who are yet to register with SHA. So if you have not registered with SHA what are you waiting for? The importance of this fund is to ensure that there is no one who is left behind,” he said.

The principal secretary also assured residents that they are allowed to make their contributions to SHA through instalments and are not limited to contributing on a yearly basis.

• A Tell Media / KNA report / By Jedidah Mumia and James Ingusu