The Kakamega County Government has officially handed over the stalled Sh6.2 billion Kakamega County Teaching and Referral Hospital to the national government, paving the way for the resumption of construction works.
The 750-bed facility, one of the flagship projects initiated by former Governor Wycliffe Oparanya, stalled in 2022 due to funding constraints.
Governor Fernandes Barasa, together with Medical Services Principal Secretary Ouma Oluga and Defence PS Patrick Mariru, toured the site and reaffirmed the hospital’s potential to transform healthcare and spur economic growth in Kakamega and the wider Western region.
The hospital will now be completed through a joint effort between the county and national governments, with engineers from the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) taking over the construction.
Under the new arrangement, the national government will inject Sh500 million, while Kakamega County will allocate Sh300 million to complete and equip Phase I of the project.
“This facility will be under construction starting next week, and the team in charge has committed to completing the works within six months. By February next year, the hospital should be fully operational,” Governor Barasa announced.
PS Mariru noted that once complete, the hospital will serve not just Kakamega but also neighbouring counties, including Bungoma, Vihiga, Busia, and Trans Nzoia. He also assured local residents of job opportunities during the construction phase.
“Our KDF professionals will supervise the work, but we will also engage local youth to offer various services over the next six months,” he said.
PS Oluga added that the facility will bring specialised healthcare closer to the people and will be equipped under the National Equipment Support Programme, recently launched by the national government.
“We will install, maintain, and service modern equipment at this facility. Patients will pay for services only after receiving care, under what we call a ‘fee-for-service’ model,” Oluga explained.
The hospital was initially budgeted at Sh6.12 billion, to be completed in three phases: Phase I (Sh2.33 billion), Phase II (Sh2.01 billion), and Phase III (Sh1.78 billion).
Once operational, the facility is expected to become a centre for medical tourism and a model for public healthcare delivery in Kenya.
