President William Ruto opened the largest medical complex in Kirinyaga County on Tuesday, elevating Kerugoya County Referral Hospital from a level-4 to a level-5 facility.
The cutting-edge medical complex elevates the county’s medical care by providing a full range of specialised services for which residents were previously referred to facilities outside the county.
The President, who was accompanied by his Deputy Rigathi Gachagua, congratulated Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru on implementing an “iconic” project that demonstrated that county governments could deliver better healthcare.
“The healthcare function will and has been better managed by the county governments, and if anyone needs a testimony and confirmation of the same, they should see the hospital that has been built by the County Government of Kirinyaga,” the president said.
He stated that, despite initial opposition, Waiguru’s determination enabled the project to be completed. “A good thing cannot be seen at once, but you need a long-term vision to accomplish it,” he noted.
At the same time, President Ruto assured Kenyans that the national government had no intention of taking over the county health-care functions. He stated that it would instead assist county governments in providing people with high-quality, low-cost healthcare. “We have a comprehensive plan for how to better address issues surrounding medics’ welfare, and we want to have a seamless intergovernmental working relationship that will allow us to implement various reforms in the health sector,” he said.
The president mentioned a number of the areas where the two tiers of government would work together, such as hospital equipment, the creation of a policy and financing plan involving the Facility Improvement Fund, and capacity building and compensation for community health promoters. He added that an advisory council would be established to address issues relating to county medical personnel.
Speaking at the event, Governor Waiguru claimed that the hospital project, which the County Government had fully funded, was an important component of carrying out her administration’s plan, The Mountain Cities 2032, which identifies Kirinyaga Central constituency as the “Wellness City.” She continued by saying that it was the result of her government’s efforts to increase residents of Kirinyaga County’s access to affordable, high-quality healthcare services.
The 341-bed hospital provides a variety of services, including obstetrics and gynaecology, ENT, dermatology, oncology, orthopaedics, medical outpatient clinics, surgical outpatient clinics, neuro-paediatric clinics, and specialist consultancies in paediatrics, ENT, dermatology, and dermatology. In addition, the hospital has a 12-bed HDU and an ICU. Furthermore, all of its beds are equipped with oxygen.
Following a tour of the hospital, the president promised to assist Governor Waiguru by deploying five critical care nurses to work at the new ICU and also assisting in the purchase of additional equipment.
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua said that Governor Waiguru had lived up to her promise of transforming Kirinyaga. “She does many things, but the hospital will be a lasting legacy in her leadership in Kirinyaga County,” said the DP.
Governor Waiguru stated that the project’s completion demonstrated that devolution was working and that if adequately supported, counties will be able to provide citizens with affordable and accessible healthcare.
“As the Chairperson of the Council of Governors, I can assure you that the devolution of healthcare services has had a significant impact. For the last 10 years, county governments have invested heavily in healthcare service delivery, human resource development, the equipping of healthcare facilities, and health infrastructure development. Consequently, over 90 percent of the Kenyan population currently lives within 5 km, or one-hour travel time, of a health facility,” she said.
Waiguru expressed gratitude to the national government for technical assistance, noting that the intergovernmental approach had contributed to the overall delivery of high-quality healthcare facilities. She also thanked the project implementation team, which included the county departments of public works, health, and finance.
The Cabinet Secretary for Health, Dr. Nakumicha Wafula, congratulated Governor Waiguru for the achievement, pointing out that the hospital had been assessed and had met all the requirements for elevation to a level-5 facility. A Level Fiver Certificate was issued to Governor Waiguru.
Other leaders present at the function hailed the governor for successfully implementing a project of such a magnitude. “I have not seen a leader who works as hard as Waiguru. She is visionary, resilient, determined, and focused,” said Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja.
Tharaka Nithi Governor Muthomi Njuki, who also chairs the Council of Governors (CoG) Health Committee, echoed his sentiments. “We came to Kirinyaga today to witness that devolution works,” he said, adding that Waiguru’s leadership capability was what made governors-elect her to lead the CoG.
Members of Parliament from Ndia and Kirinyaga Central, George Kariuki and Gachoki Gitari, congratulated the governor on the hospital project, saying that county residents will no longer be medical tourists to other counties.
Hundreds of people from Kirinyaga, including County Assembly members, also attended the event.
