Cancer patients in Kisumu and Lake Region will no longer have to travel long distances to seek cancer treatment in other places. This is due to the construction of a Comprehensive Cancer Centre in Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH), which is nearing completion. The centre is expected to start radiotherapy this year. The construction of this cancer centre has been funded by about KSh 500 million from the national government.
For a long period, patients in this region have been forced to travel 350 to 500 kilometres just to get radiotherapy. This has been a challenge for patients and their families, as they have been forced to travel long distances and wait for long periods of time. This has resulted in some patients missing some of their treatment and even abandoning their health altogether.
While making an inspection of the construction progress, Medical Services PS Dr Ouma Oluga noted that this centre will help patients in this region get better and more complete care without having to travel long distances. He was joined by Broadcasting and Telecommunications PS Stephen Isaboke and Professor Graham Lord of King’s College London, who is also chair of King’s Health Partners.
These figures speak to the urgency. At JOOTRH, there have been 4,567 cancer cases treated between 2014 and 2023. Already, there have been 500 new cases recorded in 2025 alone.
Cervical cancer is the most frequent type treated at the hospital, accounting for 64 percent of cancer cases. This is followed by cancer of the esophagus, breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer. More than 70 percent of cancer patients come in with cancer already in Stage III or IV. Overall survival rate is at 9.3 percent. This is a statistic that health officials believe will increase once services become fully local.
Currently, almost half of radiotherapy patients have to be referred outside the region. This is a problem that is expected to be solved with the new center.
This is a project that extends far beyond brick and mortar. In fact, there is a plan to work with King’s College London to develop oncology fellowships, academic exchanges, and diagnostic capabilities. There is even talk of creating a regional research and clinical trials hub in Kisumu. There is even a suggestion of a sickle cell research center.
For the people of western Kenya, the centre represents more than bricks and machines. It signals a shift towards care that is closer, more consistent and more accessible something many have waited for over the years.
