Sixteen years ago, former President Mwai Kibaki ordered the construction of a trauma centre in Nakuru following the devastating 2009 Sachang'wan fire that killed 130 people.
The facility was to treat accident victims, especially on the busy Nakuru-Eldoret highway.
An expansive parcel of land was acquired at Salgaa trading centre for the project, and in 2012, Kibaki commissioned the multi-million shilling project.
However, the project that was expected to cost nearly Sh1 billion did not take off.
After the Kibaki government left office, and at the advent of devolution in 2013, the project stalled due to inadequate funding. The contractor eventually withdrew from the site.
Fast forward to 2024. More than 16 years later, Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika has revived the former president's dream.
But this time, the Nakuru County Government has started the construction of a more than Sh250 million state-of-the-art hospital, on the five acres earlier allocated for the trauma centre.
Records indicate that the ultra-modern hospital with a capacity to accommodate more than 100 beds, is expected to have a trauma centre.
"The construction of the facility will be completed in 24 months. The ultra-modern hospital will offer services to residents of Rongai and neighbouring areas as well as accident victims along the Nakuru-Eldoret highway,” she said.
According to records at the Health Department, the hospital, will offer a range of services, including: inpatient and outpatient care, accident and emergency services, laboratory and X-ray services, pharmacy and surgical services as well as maternity services.
"Often accident victims in need of emergency care are ferried to the Nakuru Level Five Hospital in Nakuru or Molo Sub-County Hospital. The facility will now help save lives of accident victims,” said the governor.
Located near the Salgaa black spot along the Nakuru-Eldoret highway, the hospital will be well-positioned to offer life-saving care to accident victims.
Mr Livingstone Sawe, a resident, described the development as “a dream come true.”
"For years, we have been forced to travel a long distance to Nakuru Level Five Hospital in Nakuru to seek treatment, but now we will get health services in Salgaa,” he said.
Another resident Mary Tanui says the facility will significantly reduce the need for residents to travel long distances for medical services.
"Whenever we were required to undergo surgeries and other lifesaving procedures, we had to travel to Nakuru City. This will now be a thing of the past, “said Ms Tanui.
Accident victims have been jamming the Nakuru Level Five Hospital for specialized care overwhelming the facility that also accommodates patients from more than five other neighbouring counties.
The hospital serves patients from Nakuru, Bomet, Kericho, Samburu, Baringo, Nyandarua and Laikipia among others.
Sometimes patients from cattle rustling-prone areas, suffering from gunshots, are also airlifted to the Nakuru Level Five Hospital.
A trauma centre is a hospital equipped and staffed to provide care for patients suffering from major traumatic injuries such as falls, motor vehicle collisions or gunshot wounds.
