Healthcare crisis forces West Pokot residents to seek treatment in Uganda
Kapenguria County Referral Hospital in West Pokot County where patients travel about 300 kilometres to seek treatment.
What you need to know:
- Only 160 health facilities serve a population of over 800,000 residents
- Many facilities lack basic infrastructure like laboratories and maternity wards
A severe shortage of health facilities in West Pokot County's remote border regions is forcing residents to make difficult choices.
They travel to Uganda for medical care, rely on traditional healers, or risk being attended to by unqualified personnel at home — including during childbirth.
With only 160 health facilities serving more than 800,000 residents, many communities face life-threatening journeys of up to 60 kilometres to reach the nearest medical centre.
For some, crossing the border to Uganda's facilities in Amudat, Kanuoni Losam Kales, and Karita has become a necessary alternative.
"We walk for more than 50 kilometres to access health centres which are in poor condition," says Christine Elijah, a resident of Ombolion.
"The few facilities we have lack basic services like laboratories and maternity wards," she adds.
The crisis particularly affects maternal health. Saumu Cheptoo from Alale describes a dire situation where women routinely give birth at home with traditional birth attendants due to the inaccessibility of facilities.
"We have experienced many deaths because of people walking long distances," she says.
The most affected areas include Kanyarkwat, Katikomor, Kanyerus, Alale, Kases, Ombolion, Riwo, and Suam. During rainy seasons, the situation worsens as malaria cases surge and roads become impassable, leaving many families unable to access urgent medical care.
Many who get sick opt to sell their livestock for medical services because of costs. Leaders in the county have called on the national and county governments to upgrade and put up more health centres in remote areas to improve access to health services.
West Pokot Senator Julius Murgor highlights the deadly consequences of the healthcare gap.
"We have lost many people who are referred to the county hospital in Kapenguria, 300 kilometres away from the Alale area, because of the long distance and poor state of the road," he says.
The senator calls for increased national funding to improve healthcare access and staff housing in remote areas.
"We need more health centres to help residents access health services near their homes," Mr Murgor said, pleading with the National Government to increase the allocation of funds to counties, especially the Ministry of Health, to improve healthcare in remote places and housing for medical staff.
"People here are suffering. 61 years after independence, they cannot access medical services," he adds, noting that the high mortality rate is partly due to women giving birth while attempting to reach distant hospitals.
The rainy season is also a challenge as the region is worst hit by malaria, yet many parents are unable to take their children to hospitals due to long distances.
Senator Murgor urged the county government to immediately deploy staff in the newly-constructed dispensaries.
Governor Simon Kachapin says his administration is working to address these challenges.
"We have increased the number of health workers and doubled the number of dispensaries," he says.
The county government aims to meet international standards by ensuring health facilities are within a five-kilometer radius of residents.
The governor points to the revived Beyond Zero initiative as a potential solution, with fully equipped mobile clinics intended to improve access to medical services for children and women while reducing maternal and infant mortality rates in the region. Beyond Zero was a maternal health programme started by then First Lady Margaret Kenyatta.
However, for many residents, the improvements cannot come soon enough. Some continue to sell livestock to afford medical care, while others depend on occasional medical camps and mobile clinics. The situation underscores a broader challenge in Kenya's rural healthcare system, where geography and infrastructure limitations continue to impact basic healthcare access.
