End of painful journeys as Homa Bay opens first cancer clinic
The Mama Phoebe Asiyo Oncology Centre was officially opened on August 27 at the Homa Bay County Teaching and Referral Hospital. The centre was established through a partnership between the county government and Aga Khan Hospital and Foundation, the French Development Agency, the Gates Foundation, and the National Cancer Institute.
What you need to know:
- Patients suffered in silence. The mere knowledge that no local clinic existed discouraged many from seeking diagnosis, even when they displayed symptoms.
- Others, after being diagnosed elsewhere, died at home without ever seeing an oncologist.
Until last week, cancer in Homa Bay meant one thing: a long, costly journey to hospital.
Every week, up to 20 people would pack their bags, borrow fare, and leave home for Kisumu or Eldoret.
One hundred and ten kilometres to Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital. Two hundred kilometres to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital. A painful trek in the hope of staying alive.
Since devolution began in 2013, when governors took over health services, Homa Bay never had a cancer clinic.
Patients suffered in silence. The mere knowledge that no local clinic existed discouraged many from seeking diagnosis, even when they displayed symptoms.
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Others, after being diagnosed elsewhere, died at home without ever seeing an oncologist.
Those who dared to travel to prolong their lives faced a different ordeal.
"It drains families," one patient said.
According to Governor Gladys Wanga, patients rarely travel alone.
"They have family members who must eat and sleep. This makes the whole journey costly," she explained.
She knows this firsthand because she would receive numerous calls from constituents pleading for fare, accommodation, and meals.
Even after sending help or when patients received support from churches and local communities, some gave up along the way.
Hours in a matatu, weakened bodies, and empty pockets made the journey unbearable.
Treatment became a luxury the poor could not afford.
For Wanga, the pain is personal.
She was diagnosed with cancer while serving as Homa Bay Woman Representative. She received early treatment because she could afford it.
But many in her county cannot. They are poor and struggle to put food on the table, let alone find money for accommodation when accompanying their kin to Kisumu or Eldoret.
"What kills most people is the mindset they have attached to the illness," the governor said.
Wanga continued: "I was encouraged by Senator Beth Mugo. While others were crying, I focused on how I could overcome it."
Vulnerable families, she said, often give up before the fight even begins.
That story is now set to change.
The county government has established an oncology centre to boost cancer care.
Named the Mama Phoebe Asiyo Oncology Centre and based at the Homa Bay County Teaching and Referral Hospital, the first-ever clinic stands as a foundation for cancer care across the region, bringing high-quality, comprehensive, and dignified services closer to home.
It was built in partnership with development partners and private health institutions, whose officials say patients will no longer need to travel hundreds of kilometres, and families will be spared the heavy bills of referrals. The centre, they add, is more than just a building.
Wanga said patients will now have their conditions detected early enough for timely interventions.
"Currently, Homa Bay County refers approximately 15 to 20 cancer patients every week to facilities outside the county for specialised treatment. With this centre now constructed, equipped, and progressively staffed to provide oncology services, we are taking an important step towards ensuring that more of our people can access quality care closer to home," she said.
Governor Wanga has assured the public that no person who visits the facility will leave without receiving the help they need, whether it is counselling, encouragement, hope, or medical treatment.
"We want to make sure we have many happy stories following the opening of this centre," Ms Wanga said.
The governor emphasised that the approach to cancer must go beyond treatment. She said her government would continue investing in prevention and early detection, stressing that the best opportunity to defeat cancer is often found before it advances.
Already, the partnership between the county government, Aga Khan Hospital and Foundation, the French Development Agency, the Gates Foundation, and the National Cancer Institute, which helped establish the centre, is bearing fruit.
Through the collaboration, Kenney Mulama, the East African Comprehensive Women's Cancer Project manager, said more than 23,000 women in Homa Bay County have already been screened for cervical and breast cancer. Those requiring further assessment have been appropriately referred through the health system.
In addition, up to 24,961 girls have received the HPV vaccine, which protects against one of the major causes of cervical cancer.
"These efforts, together with community awareness and education, are helping the government build a stronger culture of prevention and early health-seeking behaviour," he said.
Behind these numbers are women who have taken a step toward knowing their health status, families that have found hope through early intervention, and young girls whose futures may be protected because of a vaccine received.
Beyond this, medical staff from Homa Bay, including pharmacists, nurses, and clinical officers, will undertake clinical mentorship at Aga Khan Hospital.Wanga said investment in healthcare workers will strengthen the capacity of the county health system and ensure that services at the centre are backed by the knowledge and skills required to provide quality oncology care.
She also promised the highest possible standard of care at the oncology centre.
"There will be no difference between the services offered in Homa Bay and those offered at Aga Khan in Kisumu or Nairobi, or at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret. The standard is the same, so patients don't have to leave Homa Bay thinking they can receive higher quality services elsewhere," she said.
The governor said the vision for Homa Bay is to build a health system that responds to the needs of the people at every stage of life.
She said her administration must continue to strengthen primary healthcare, improve access to essential services, and invest in infrastructure, equipment, and human resources required to deliver better health outcomes.
"The launch of this centre is part of a broader journey to transform healthcare in Homa Bay and bring specialised services that were once accessible only in distant cities closer to our people. We will continue to strengthen our health system, and above all, continue to save lives.”
During the official opening of the centre on August 27, Kabondo East MCA Alice Winga and several others opened up about their own battles with cancer.
The MCA said she was diagnosed with blood cancer and underwent a bone marrow transplant in India.
"I got sick and had no idea what was ailing me. I went for blood transfusion several times until it was discovered that I have cancer," Winga said.
She is among the patients now expected to seek care in Homa Bay.
On that day, the Homa Bay Cancer Support CBO was presented with Sh400,000 to establish income-generating activities. The group is made up of cancer warriors.
This support will strengthen the group's ability to support its members and help address some of the economic challenges that often accompany a cancer diagnosis and long-term treatment.
The group was called upon to encourage more people to seek early diagnosis.
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