President William Ruto has outlined a raft of investments by his administration in maternal and newborn healthcare, including billions of shillings in additional funding, expanded emergency services, and the recruitment of 5,000 nurses and midwives.
The head of state said the measures were part of efforts to address persistent gaps in access to quality healthcare, particularly for pregnant women and newborns.
Speaking at the foundation stone laying ceremony for the Chebunyo Amsons Mother and Baby Hospital in Chepalungu, Bomet County, on Saturday, President Ruto stated that the Chebunyo facility is part of a broader national effort to expand access to specialised maternal and neonatal services.
The President detailed the financial commitments, including an additional Ksh. 4 billion allocated through the Social Health Authority (SHA) to cover pregnant women, Ksh. 1 billion for maternal and newborn commodities, and Ksh. 2.5 billion for family planning services.
“We have allocated an additional KSh4 billion through the Social Health Authority (SHA) to cover pregnant women, KSh1 billion for maternal and newborn commodities and KSh2.5 billion for family planning services,” Ruto said.
He said the Government was also recruiting and deploying 5,000 additional nurses and midwives across the country, while expanding emergency obstetric and newborn care and strengthening the capacity of health workers.
President Ruto underscored the urgency of these investments, noting that maternal deaths remain a significant national concern, with approximately 16 women dying daily from pregnancy-related causes. He highlighted that the challenge extends beyond the number of available hospitals, pointing to shortages of personnel, equipment, medicines, and specialised services.
“Fewer than half of our health facilities provide maternity services, and only about one-third offer emergency obstetric care,” Ruto said.
The President expressed particular concern for areas where distance and limited resources delay access to specialised care during pregnancy and childbirth.
“No family should have to travel long distances, exhaust savings, or endure preventable loss in search of maternal and newborn healthcare,” he said.
Against this backdrop, Ruto said the Chebunyo facility would help bring specialised services closer to communities in Bomet and surrounding areas.
The modern Level 4 hospital will feature 200 to 250 beds, offering antenatal, maternity, obstetric intensive care, postnatal, newborn, and neonatal intensive care services. It will also include dedicated maternity and neonatal theatres, an isolation unit, a mothers’ hostel, a pharmacy, and health-information services.
The Chebunyo hospital is part of the Mama na Mtoto Kwanza Initiative, through which Amsons Group is providing a $35 million (approximately KSh4.5 billion) grant to establish 10 mother and baby hospitals across Kenya.
He stressed that building hospitals alone is insufficient to solve Kenya’s healthcare challenges, facilities must be supported by adequate staffing, medicines, equipment, financing, and effective management.
“The Government is investing in all the foundations of healthcare: facilities, health workers, essential medicines, information systems, financing, governance, and quality service delivery,” he affirmed.
President Ruto also highlighted progress in Bomet, where neonatal mortality stands at 17 deaths per 1,000 live births, compared with a national average of 21, and skilled birth attendance has risen above 75 per cent.
He said more than 32.7 million Kenyans have registered under SHA, with Bomet recording 701,800 registrations, exceeding 80 per cent of its target.
The President urged the Bomet County Government to prepare for the hospital’s operationalisation by ensuring adequate personnel, equipment, medicines, maintenance, and referral services.
He said the project exemplifies the value of cooperation between national and county governments and the private sector in expanding healthcare
“We are building a health system in which distance does not determine survival, income does not determine access, and geography does not determine the quality of care,” Ruto said.
