Kenya is set to build 10 baby and mother hospitals in nine counties in a deal worth Sh4.5 billion, a move aimed at significantly reducing maternal and newborn deaths.
In the agreement, the government is partnering with AMSONS Group to build hospitals in Nairobi, Kwale, Kisumu, Uasin Gishu and West Pokot.
Other facilities will be set up in Mombasa, Garissa, Embu and Nakuru counties.
Nairobi will have two facilities while the rest of the counties will host one hospital each. These counties were selected based on the level of need.
“We have partnered with AMSONS Group to strengthen maternal and newborn healthcare to safeguard the lives of mothers and children,” President William Ruto said after witnessing the signing of the deal at State House, Nairobi, on Wednesday.
The hospitals will be equipped with an antenatal section, a maternal ICU, labour, delivery and recovery wards, and two operating theatres, among other essential equipment.
AMSONS Group will equip the hospitals with 250 beds while the government will provide all the other medical equipment.
The President also announced that the government is exploring additional partnerships to deliver a further 14 hospitals as it seeks to expand access to healthcare in underserved regions across the country.
The project, he explained, targets to decentralise specialised care, reducing the distance mothers travel for emergency obstetric services.
In many parts of the country, the President said, long distances, limited infrastructure, health workforce shortages, and gaps in service delivery have placed lives at risk.
He described the AMSONS deal as a significant step towards closing glaring gaps in maternal and newborn health.
“Today, we are taking decisive action to change this reality,” he said, noting that the initiative goes beyond infrastructure and aspires to build a health system that is equitable, integrated, and responsive.
Commending AMSONS for choosing Kenya, the President noted that the Group’s focus on children and mothers aligns with the government’s plan to place health at the heart of its transformation agenda.
“We will continue expanding availability of such services until they are accessible to all those who need them,” President Ruto said, adding that reducing maternal and child death is a top national priority.
Terming AMSONS’ substantial investment a godsend, the President said mothers and babies should never die during childbirth.
“Many mothers and children still die in hospitals. This is unacceptable” he said.
Underscoring his commitment to ensure all Kenyans have access to affordable health, President Ruto said the government will continue to mobilise resources for the Primary Healthcare Fund and the Emergency and Critical Healthcare Fund so that key services are accessible to all Kenyans.
The President pointed out that quality health is a right for every Kenyan and called for collective action to ensure this right is met without any constraints.
”It is a shared responsibility to build, equip, staff, and sustain these facilities, and to ensure they deliver real outcomes for mothers and children,” he explained, noting that the government is deliberate in making targeted investments to ensure that no community is left behind in accessing quality, affordable, and reliable healthcare.
The programme, aimed at reducing maternal and child deaths, rides on the universal health coverage plan, which emphasises a strong primary healthcare approach.
The more than 100,000 Community Health Promoters, recruited by county governments and remunerated by both the National Government and counties, have a key role in strengthening early detection, referral, and continuity of care, ensuring that services reach households effectively.
The government, the President noted, is building a system that begins at the community level and connects seamlessly to higher levels of care.
Level 4 hospitals, he said, will strengthen secondary care at the county level while a model Level 5 hospital will provide specialised services closer to the people.
