First Lady Rachel Ruto Friday, presided over the handover of cochlear implant devices worth Sh120 million, a donation that promises to restore hearing and hope to dozens of Kenyan children living with hearing impairments.
The devices, presented to the Ministry of Health under the First Lady’s, Voice of Children Program, were a donation from Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Asma of Morocco, ahead of the Princess’s official visit to Kenya next week.
“This gift is far greater than its monetary value,” Mrs. Ruto said during the event at State House, Nairobi. “It is a gift of sound, connection, and renewed possibility. For the children and families who will benefit, it means hearing laughter, music, and the voices of loved ones — some for the very first time.”
Mrs. Ruto urged the Ministry of Health to ensure that the cochlear implants reach the children most in need across the country. She emphasised the importance of comprehensive care, noting that successful implantation requires both skilled surgery and post-operative therapy to help recipients adapt to their new sense of hearing.
“The Ministry’s support in coordinating both the surgical procedures and the essential post-surgery therapy will enable beneficiaries to fully embrace a new phase of life — one defined by sound, connection, and opportunity,” she said.
A specialised team from Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), led by Acting Chief Executive Officer Dr. Richard Lesiyampe, will perform the surgeries.
“Let us remember that every restored sense, every healed life, is a step toward a more compassionate world,” Mrs. Ruto added. “May this act of generosity inspire us all to use our resources, partnerships, and influence to make a difference, however small, in the lives of others.”
Also in attendance were Dr. Abraham Korir Sing’oei, Principal Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, and Dr. Ouma Oluga, Principal Secretary for Medical Services in the Ministry of Health.
Dr. Oluga noted that the Social Health Authority (SHA) will fully cover the cost of the procedures, which are included in its benefits package with a reimbursement rate of KSh 358,000 per patient. The cochlear implant procedure, he added, had previously been listed among 36 services unavailable within the country.
“Your Excellency, what you have done today is remove it from that list,” Dr. Oluga said. “You have challenged us to go back and review the gazette notice.”
PS Sing’oei lauded the donation as a symbol of Kenya’s deepening ties with Morocco, attributing it to the First Lady’s longstanding relationship with the Moroccan royal family.
“It is through the heavy lifting that you and His Excellency the President have done to elevate the status of our relationship with the Kingdom of Morocco,” he said. “It is through your friendship, forged over several years, that Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Asma is visiting Kenya next week at your invitation,” he said.
Dr Lesiyampe said the KNH will operate 54 children on Monday, while Moi Teaching and Referrals Hospital will operate 10 others.
“We are very grateful and we do not take this for granted,” he said.
