Migori County Governor Dr Ochilo Ayacko has officially launched the construction of the Kehancha Mother, Newborn, and Child Health Unit (MNCH) at Kehancha Level IV Sub-County Hospital, a major investment aimed at improving maternal, newborn, and child health services in the Kuria region.
Ochilo, while commissioning the construction described the complex as a critical step in ensuring that no woman dies while giving birth due to lack of access to quality healthcare. The project is being implemented through a strategic partnership between the county government of Migori and the M-PESA Foundation.
The foundation has contributed Sh50 million towards construction, while the county government invested Sh30 million in equipment, furnishing and continued support for staffing, medical supplies, and commodities.
Kehancha Sub-County Hospital currently serves Kuria East, Kuria West, and neighbouring cross-border communities from Transmara Sub-County in Narok County and also those living along the Kenya-Tanzania border, where many expectant mothers have historically travelled long distances to access delivery and emergency obstetric services.
Governor Ochilo noted that the new complex would significantly reduce these journeys by bringing specialised maternal and child healthcare closer to families who need it most.
“This project responds directly to the challenges mothers in Kuria have faced for years. Kehancha is now being positioned as the main maternal and child health referral centre for the region,” he said.
Upon completion, the Kehancha Mother and Child Complex will be equipped with a modern maternity ward and safe delivery rooms, a fully equipped operating theatre for caesarean sections and obstetric emergencies, and a dedicated newborn care unit for premature and sick infants.
The facility will integrate family planning, child immunisation, and nutrition counselling services under one roof, allowing mothers and children to receive comprehensive care in a single location.
The launch comes amid broader improvements in Migori County’s health sector. The county has also seen the expansion of the county health workforce to over 1,200 staff, upgrades to maternity services in Kehancha, Macalder, Rongo, and Muhuru hospitals, and improved availability of essential medicines and medical equipment.
He added that the county has also rolled out digital patient records across its hospitals, with all facilities now set up, with 66 per cent already fully utilising the system.
In addition, more than 478,000 residents of Migori have been registered under the Social Health Authority (SHA), which has led to improved access to affordable healthcare.
The governor acknowledged the foundation’s long-standing support for maternal and child health in the county, citing previous initiatives such as fistula treatment camps at Migori County Referral Hospital that restored dignity to over 340 women.
He also noted that the M-PESA Foundation supported the construction of the Awendo Mother and Child Complex and has committed to building a similar facility in Nyamaraga in Suna West Sub-County to further expand access to specialised maternal healthcare in the county.
Reaffirming his commitment to the people of Kuria, the governor said the Kehancha complex would be fully completed, equipped, and staffed to ensure quality services.
“These are real actions, not promises,” he said. “Mothers will no longer be forced to travel far for safe delivery, and Kehancha Hospital will be strengthened as a key referral centre for maternal and child health”, he explained.
The facility will also play a vital role in reducing maternal and neonatal mortality, which has been prevalent in the region for decades.
By Polycarp Ochieng and Makokha Khaoya
