Plans to establish a Sh.8 billion Level Six teaching and referral hospital in Bungoma County have entered the home stretch after the project cleared critical regulatory and technical hurdles, paving the way for commencement of construction works in the coming months.
The proposed facility which is being financed by the African Development Bank (AfDB) is set to be built at Sichei in Kimilili Sub-County to ease pressure on existing referral hospitals in the region and spare thousands of patients the costly journeys to Eldoret and Nairobi in search of specialised treatment.
The milestone was marked during a final appraisal meeting at the project site, attended by officials from the Ministry of Health, Bungoma County Government and financiers, where progress was reviewed, ahead of the anticipated groundbreaking ceremony.
Ministry of Health representative Hossan Ajuk said the national government was keen to fast-track implementation of the project in order to improve access to specialised healthcare services in Western Kenya and neighbouring countries.
“As a country, we want to enhance access to specialised care as fast as possible,” said Ajuk.
He noted that despite the region’s large population and strategic location, residents have for decades relied heavily on referral hospitals outside the region for advanced treatment.
Ajuk said Bungoma’s position near the Kenya-Uganda border and its growing population makes it an ideal location for a major referral facility, serving not only Western Kenya, but also patients from Eastern Uganda and the wider Great Lakes region.
“The approval by the government and Cabinet of this project was timely,” he said.
He added that consultants contracted to undertake the feasibility study had completed their assignment and submitted a favourable report, effectively clearing the final technical hurdle before construction begins.
The studies, he said, were part of the Kenya Health Infrastructure Support Project supported by the AfDB.
Speaking during the meeting, Bungoma Governor Kenneth Lusaka described the project as transformative, saying it would revolutionize healthcare access and stimulate economic growth in the county.
“This project is a game changer for our people. Once it is done, the long travel to Eldoret and Nairobi to seek services will be a thing of the past,” said Lusaka.
He said the facility would complement ongoing efforts to establish advanced referral services in the wider Western region, including the near-complete Level Six Hospital in Kakamega, thereby strengthening specialised healthcare capacity for millions of residents across the region.
Lusaka said Bungoma’s central location within the regional transport network and its proximity to neighbouring countries would make the facility a natural referral hub for cross-border patients and specialised medical services.
The governor further noted that the hospital’s location near Matulo Airstrip would improve emergency evacuation and referral services once the airstrip is upgraded under separate plans by the national government.
To support the project, the county government, he said, will construct a 2.3-kilometre road to bitumen standards linking the facility to the Kimilili road network to ensure seamless access for patients, medical personnel and suppliers.
Lusaka said the hospital would also benefit students at the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) Chwele Campus by providing opportunities for clinical training and specialised medical research.
Beyond healthcare, the governor said the project is expected to spur rapid urban growth around Sichei, attract private investment and create hundreds of jobs during construction and operational phases.
“The project will completely transform this area and the county at large,” said the governor.
He cautioned leaders against politicizing the project to ensure it is completed as scheduled.
By Chris Mahandara
