Ruto: We’ll upgrade Kakamega hospital to Level 6 next month
President William Ruto with Lukuyani MP Innocent Mugabe, Navakholo MP Emmanuel Wangwe and MCA Brian Mafunga during a Sunday mass at St Mark’s Catholic Church in Matunda, Likuyani Constituency, Kakamega County.
Plans to upgrade Kakamega County Teaching and Referral Hospital to Level Six are underway, with President William Ruto promising yesterday to gazette the facility next month and provide annual national government funding for its operations.
The president also pledged Sh100 million to kick-start the construction of a Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT)-linked training centre in Likuyani, Kakamega County.
Speaking during a church service at St Mark’s Catholic Church in Matunda, Likuyani, President Ruto said he had agreed with Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa on the hospital’s elevation, which he said would ease pressure on the county’s health budget and bring specialised medical services closer to residents.
The president said the government was finalising the paperwork required to gazette Kakamega Referral Hospital as a Level Six facility in November, alongside a similar plan for a hospital in Garissa.
He said that annual funding from the national government to run the facility would allow the county administration to redirect money currently allocated to the hospital towards other health services and development priorities.
The president explained that the changes were intended to ensure Kenyans could access essential and specialised treatment closer to home rather than travel long distances for medical care.
President Ruto also announced that he would provide funding for the proposed JKUAT-linked training centre to begin construction on a 50-acre parcel donated by the family of the late Wafula Wabuge.
He said Education Principal Secretary Beatrice Inyang’ala would visit Likuyani next week to follow up on the project, which is intended to honour the Wabuge family’s contribution while expanding training opportunities for local residents and learners from across the country.
The land was donated to JKUAT by the Wabuge family in 2016 for a community-serving facility.
The university has previously engaged Likuyani MP Innocent Mugabe on programmes focused on agricultural productivity, skills development and economic empowerment.
JKUAT’s earlier outreach activities in the area included farmer training sessions conducted in 2023 and 2024, with discussions also exploring agricultural value chains, including fruit production, as potential sources of income and improved livelihoods.
President Ruto said the proposed learning centre would put the donated land to productive use and benefit future generations, although further details on the construction timetable and the facility’s full scope were not immediately available.
On healthcare financing, the president said Kakamega had recorded 1.15 million registrations under the Social Health Authority (SHA), and that the national government had disbursed Sh4.8 billion to health facilities in the county over the past 18 months to pay for medical services.
He defended the programme against criticism from political opponents, arguing that some of those questioning its effectiveness had neither registered nor sought treatment under the scheme.
The president said facilities received payments based on the number of patients treated, adding that the government wanted to strengthen funding and accountability at health centres, dispensaries and hospitals.
He also said his administration had provided medical equipment worth nearly Sh3 million to hospitals in Kakamega, with additional equipment valued at approximately Sh1 billion earmarked for distribution.
The president called for closer cooperation between the national and county governments, saying local health facilities needed resources to purchase medicines and address shortages.
Also Read: Real test of UHC agenda is delivery
Beyond development, President Ruto used the visit to criticise the opposition, accusing its leaders of lacking a clear agenda for moving the country forward. He also accused former President Uhuru Kenyatta of financing efforts to destabilise his administration.
The president’s remarks come as political leaders intensify mobilisation ahead of the 2027 General Election, with Western Kenya remaining an important arena for competing political interests.
President Ruto also struck a personal note during the church service, thanking Likuyani residents for their role in his personal life. He recalled travelling to the area to seek the hand of his wife, First Lady Rachel Ruto, in marriage. He said she was born in Likuyani and attended Likuyani Primary School before proceeding to Butere Girls High School.
His Kakamega visit comes after he led the national Mazingira Day celebrations in Endebess, Trans Nzoia County, on Saturday, where he championed environmental conservation and the government’s tree-growing targets.
Reporting by Titus Ominde, Emmanuel Ashindu and Ezra Nanjendo.
Follow our WhatsApp channel for breaking news updates and more stories like this.
