Ruto concludes four-day South Rift tour, launches multi-billion projects

By  Vitalis Kimutai

Correspondent

Nation Media Group

President William Ruto on Saturday concluded a four-day tour of the South Rift counties of Bomet and Kericho, taking another swipe at the opposition and assuring counties of their continued control of the devolved health function.

He invited opposition leaders to a 2027 electoral contest based on development track records, agendas, visions, issues and ideas.

“I welcome my competitors to a competition of plans, ideas and programmes,” he said.

“So far, we have created 1.1 million jobs in the Affordable Housing Programme, 300,000 digital jobs and 680,000 overseas jobs through bilateral labour agreements with partner States,” President Ruto explained.

The President noted that Kenyans are sufficiently informed and able to make the right decisions based on the development record and ability of leaders in next year’s General Election.

While in Kericho County, he launched the construction of the Chelimo Special Economic Zone.

“This will host business process outsourcing, agro-industry in food and animal feeds, veterinary medicines, medical devices and equipment, light agricultural machinery, biotechnology in natural products and pharmaceuticals,” the President said.

He noted that business process outsourcing alone will create more than 10,000 jobs for young people in Kericho and beyond.

He also laid the foundation stone for the 2,280-unit Chelimo Affordable Housing Project, which will cost Sh5.9 billion.

Likewise, the President initiated the Sh5.6 billion Kabianga University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. The first phase will include the School of Medicine, School of Nursing and associated facilities, including a central e-learning library, lecture theatres and administration facilities.

In Chebunyo, Chepalungu Constituency, Bomet County, the President laid the foundation stone for the construction of a Level Four hospital funded by the Amsons Group through a Sh500 million grant.

The Amsons Group is constructing 10 hospitals in Kenya at a cost of Sh4.5 billion through its Mama na Mtoto initiative, which seeks to curb maternal and child mortality in the country.

“This marks the beginning of a major commitment by Amsons Group to invest in the health sector and assist one million people in Kenya to access improved maternal and child medical care,” Amsons Group Managing Director Mr Edha Nadhi said.

“We are spending 35 million dollars in grants to build the health facilities in 10 counties in the next two years. It is not just about constructing buildings but protecting lives, restoring dignity, giving mothers and children access to quality medical care closer to their homes.”

The 10 hospitals will be constructed in Nairobi, Bomet, Kwale, Mombasa, Garissa, Kisumu, Embu, Nakuru, Uasin Gishu and West Pokot counties, with the Cabinet and Council of Governors approving the projects’ implementation.

Chebunyo Amsons Mother and Child Hospital is a 250-bed hospital modelled on the Mother and Baby Hospital at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County.

The hospital has two new key components compared with other facilities in the country. It will be the first hospital in Kenya to have a theatre for newborn babies and a post-caesarean ward for mothers to avoid a situation where they are put in general wards, which could make them contract diseases.

The facility will have clinics, antenatal and postnatal clinics, labour, delivery and recovery rooms, antenatal and postnatal wards, post-caesarean section wards, an ICU, hostels for 50 mothers and kangaroo mother care facilities.

The President used the opportunity to assure counties that the national government has no intention of taking over the devolved health sector from the 47 counties despite the existing challenges and pushback from some stakeholders, especially medical workers.

President Ruto said the national government would help counties deliver on their mandate in the sector, settling a debate that has raged for the last 14 years.

Dr Ruto said the counties had done tremendous work in the health sector — expanding and equipping health facilities, employing more health workers, and ensuring drugs and non-consumables are available in health facilities and major hospitals.

“I want to state categorically that the advent of devolution, health has improved very significantly. I have full confidence in the ability of devolution to deliver on health,” Dr Ruto said on Saturday.

He called on Kenyans and all stakeholders to support counties to deliver on their mandate in the health sector.

“I know sometimes there is misgiving as to whether the county governments have the capacity to deliver on health. I want to state that having worked with county governments since the advent of devolution, we have seen tremendous improvement in the number of facilities, number of health workers, health outcomes and partnership between county and national governments has been phenomenal,” Dr Ruto stated.

Dr Ruto said: “I want to pledge my 100 per cent support to county governments as they deliver on health. We will continue to work with you…”

“The national government has no interest whatsoever in taking over matters of health. We will play a supportive role (to counties) through legislation, training, enhancing resources, looking for friends to invest in the health space for better outcomes.”

Trade unions in the health sector and a section of Members of Parliament have been pushing for a reversal of the devolution of the health sector in what would enable the national government to take over the mandate.

It has caused a major and unsettled debate over the years, more pronounced during strikes by health workers, with the latest being the 43-day strike by nurses, which came shortly after one led by clinical officers in all the 47 counties.

During the strike, patients were left on their own, with many succumbing to illnesses for lack of treatment and care. Public hospitals were deserted, with patients forced to seek services from private facilities, which are beyond reach for many due to the high cost of medication.

Health workers have not fully returned to their workstations even though the Council of Governors has signed a return-to-work formula with the Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) to end the strike.

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