The Mombasa County Government, in partnership with the M-Pesa Foundation and Faraja Cancer Support Trust, has commissioned a Sh63.2 million Cancer Wellness Centre at Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital (CGTRH).
The new centre will complement existing medical services at Coast General Hospital by providing emotional, social and practical support to cancer patients and their caregivers throughout the treatment journey.
Speaking during the commissioning ceremony at the Coast General Hospital Cancer Centre, Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir said cancer had become a major national health challenge, with the number of people affected continuing to rise every day.
He said the facility would help bring quality cancer care and support services closer to residents of Mombasa and the wider Coast region, noting that Coast General Hospital also serves patients from other parts of Kenya and neighbouring countries.
“It is very unfortunate that every day the number of cancer patients is on the increase, and many people, when they are diagnosed with the disease, do not know how to start the treatment journey,” said Nassir.
The Governor commended the County Department of Health, Faraja Cancer Support Trust and the M-Pesa Foundation for their partnership, saying the project complements continued investment in specialized cancer care at Coast General Hospital.
Nassir described the initiative as the first of its kind in Kenya, saying it would provide comprehensive support to people affected by cancer beyond medical treatment.
He urged the Faraja team to work closely with the Mombasa County Department of Health to organize quarterly cancer screening camps to promote early detection.
“Majority of the people who come to our facility are those at a dying stage of cancer and it would be better if the diagnosis was made at an early stage,” he said.
The Governor also appealed to nurses involved in the ongoing strike to return to work and continue serving patients who depend on their services. “In this remaining one year, let us leave politics out of health issues and serve these people,” said Nassir.
Faraja Cancer Support Trust Founder and Trustee Shairya Adamal said Mombasa County had taken an important step by establishing a dedicated cancer support centre within a county referral hospital.
She said the partnership demonstrated what could be achieved when government, the private sector and civil society organisations work together towards a common goal.
“Faraja was established sixteen years ago with a simple belief that people living with cancer need more than medical treatment alone,” said Adamal.
Adamal said Faraja’s centres in Eldoret and Nairobi had reached about 10,000 patients over the past year, with more than 3,500 patients attending support groups.
She added that the organisation also provides financial assistance to cancer patients who cannot afford treatment. “In 2025, Faraja centre supported 325,000 patients at a cost of Sh20 million,’’ said Adamal.
She said the organisation would work alongside existing health systems and adopt a model similar to that of Maggie’s Centres in the United Kingdom, which provide practical, emotional and social support to people affected by cancer.
She noted that cancer patients from the Coast had previously travelled to Nairobi for radiotherapy treatment, but improved cancer services in the region has reduced the need for many patients to travel to the capital city.
M-Pesa Foundation Trustee Celestine Munda said the partnership with the Mombasa County Government and other institutions has helped deliver critical services to Mombasa residents.
She said the new centre would provide hope and comfort to cancer patients and their families, noting that the foundation had supported initiatives at Coast General Hospital since 2018 to expand access to cancer-related services.
“We are here today to strengthen cancer support. The Faraja Therapy Cancer Centre responds to a real and pressing challenge because too many cancer patients are still struggling to access comprehensive care,” said Munda.
Munda said cancer remained a major challenge both in Kenya and globally, calling for greater collaboration in cancer screening and medical camps.
“We appreciate Faraja Centre for its dedication, as well as the Mombasa County Government and all partners. The groundbreaking today represents more than a building; it represents a collective promise to provide care and restore hope for cancer patients,” she said.
Carolyne Akinyi, Secretary-General of the Coast General Cancer Support Group, called for greater inclusion of cancer survivors in patient navigation programmes.
Akinyi, a cancer survivor said survivors who had experienced the cancer journey were well placed to guide and support the newly diagnosed patients.
“We are cancer survivors who have walked this journey, and we have sacrificed to walk with other cancer patients by holding their hands so we are the right people to do the work,” she said.
By Mary Mtawa
