President William Ruto has embarked on a four-day visit of Western Kenya counties starting on Thursday, launching road construction, opening a hospital and inspecting other development projects in the region.
This extensive project launch is a direct injection of money and ideas into the Western region and also promises the improved delivery of services.
In Kakamega County, the President officially opened the new 124-bed Butere Level Four Hospital, which was constructed using county funds. The facility has been equipped with modern medical equipment worth KSh150 million under the National Equipment Services Programme.
The head of state further pledged the completion of a modern referral hospital, valued at KSh500 million, within the next 10 months and announced an additional KSh1 billion allocation to complete the stalled Kakamega County Teaching and Referral Hospital.
To boost medical training in the region, President Ruto also inaugurated a new Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) campus and gave the go-ahead for the construction of another KMTC campus in Butere.
On infrastructure, Ruto launched the construction of several key roads, including the 22km Malava–Samitsi–Navakholo road and the 34km Turbo–Sikhendu road, which will cost KSh3.6 billion. In Shinyalu, he presided over the groundbreaking of the 25km Kakamega Airstrip–Shinyalu–Chepsonoi road that links Kakamega and Nandi counties. The government is investing KSh2.5 billion this financial year to build 265km of new roads across Kakamega County.
The Head of State also announced plans to complete the long-stalled Bukhungu Stadium project, allocating KSh1 billion to ensure its timely completion. He inspected the progress of the Pan Paper modern fresh produce market and promised the construction of 20 new modern markets across the county.
As part of the national housing agenda, President Ruto directed that 10 acres of Kenya Railways land in Butere Constituency be set aside for the construction of 1,500 affordable housing units. In total, the government plans to build 10,000 housing units in Kakamega at a cost of KSh20 billion.
Additionally, the government has allocated KSh2.2 billion to connect 34,000 households in Kakamega to electricity, furthering its rural electrification agenda.
President Ruto reiterated his administration’s commitment to completing ongoing projects across the country through the National Infrastructure Fund, which aims to raise KSh1.5 trillion for road construction nationwide.
He also urged Kakamega residents to continue registering under the new Social Health Authority (SHA) to access affordable and efficient healthcare services.
