President William Ruto has announced that the national government has officially taken over the construction of the Kakamega Teaching and Referral Hospital, pledging to complete and upgrade it into a national referral facility within 10 months.
Speaking in Kakamega on Sunday after inspecting the project’s progress, President Ruto said the government had allocated Sh1 billion to fast-track the hospital’s completion and equip it with modern medical facilities.
“The government has taken over the construction of the Kakamega Teaching and Referral Hospital and when completed will upgrade it to a national referral facility,” he said.
“I have told my brother Governor Fernandes Barasa that because this is a big facility, he should leave it to me to complete so that the people of Kakamega can have access to a Level Six hospital.”
The Head of State noted that the move to elevate the hospital aims to provide advanced healthcare services to residents of Kakamega and the wider Western region.
Once completed, the facility will join the ranks of other national referral hospitals such as Kenyatta National Hospital and Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital.
President Ruto emphasized that the hospital will play a key role in advancing the government’s universal health coverage (UHC) agenda.
“Such medical facilities will make universal healthcare a reality,” he said, adding that the facility will ease congestion in existing referral hospitals and improve access to specialized treatment.
To expedite the project’s completion, the President directed the contractor to hire at least 1,000 young people from the region to work on the construction.
“We must ensure that this hospital is completed within the 10-month period while also creating jobs for our young people,” he said.
Ongoing construction of the national referral hospital for Western Kenya in Kakamega PHOTO/PCSOngoing construction of the national referral hospital for Western Kenya in Kakamega/PCS
The inspection tour was attended by Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, Cabinet Secretaries Wycliffe Oparanya and Deborah Barasa, and Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa.
President Ruto commended Oparanya, who initiated the hospital project in 2016 during his tenure as governor, for his “bold and visionary leadership.” He also lauded Governor Barasa for continuing the work, saying this demonstrated commitment to continuity in governance.
“Government is a continuous enterprise. Projects do not belong to individuals; projects belong to the people,” the President said.
Governor Barasa pledged his administration’s support for the national government’s efforts, saying Kakamega County was committed to partnering on transformative development programmes that would improve lives.
The Kakamega Teaching and Referral Hospital, once complete, is expected to become the premier medical hub for Western Kenya, offering specialized healthcare, research, and training services to thousands across the region.
