Kenya, 2 November 2025 - President William Ruto’s announcement that the national government will take over and complete the construction of the Kakamega Teaching and Referral Hospital marks a significant policy shift in Kenya’s healthcare strategy — and a potentially defining moment for the Western region’s development agenda.
The Head of State, speaking during an inspection tour of the stalled project, said the government has allocated KSh1 billion to finalize the hospital within 10 months, with plans to elevate it to a national referral facility (Level Six).
The move effectively transforms what began as a county initiative into a national project, aligning it with the government’s broader goal of universal healthcare coverage. By situating a national referral hospital in Kakamega, the President seeks to decentralize specialized healthcare services from the capital and regionalize access to advanced treatment.
The Western region — long underserved in terms of tertiary healthcare — stands to benefit directly from this reclassification. Ruto framed the decision as both a developmental and an equity measure, ensuring residents of Western Kenya no longer have to travel to Eldoret or Nairobi for critical medical care.
“I have told my brother Governor Fernandes Barasa that because this is a big facility, he should leave it to me to complete so that the people of Kakamega can have access to a Level Six hospital,” Ruto said, signaling a blend of political partnership and central government intervention.
The hospital, first initiated by then-Governor Wycliffe Oparanya in 2016, had faced years of stalled progress due to funding constraints and administrative transitions. Ruto’s public commendation of both Oparanya — now a Cabinet Secretary — and Governor Fernandes Barasa underscored a deliberate attempt to project political unity across party lines.
“Government is a continuous enterprise. Projects do not belong to individuals; projects belong to the people,” the President said — a pointed remark that may resonate in a political landscape often marred by discontinuity when leadership changes.
Beyond healthcare, the project carries economic implications. Ruto directed the contractor to hire over 1,000 local youth tying the hospital’s completion to the government’s employment and empowerment agenda. Once operational, the facility is expected to become a major employer and service hub for the region.
The Kakamega hospital takeover reflects a broader pattern in Ruto’s administration — increasing national government involvement in county-led projects deemed of strategic importance. While this approach promises efficiency and scale, it may also reignite debates about devolution and the autonomy of county governments.
Still, for the people of Western Kenya, the immediate focus remains tangible: a modern, well-equipped hospital capable of delivering specialized care closer to home. If completed on schedule, the project could become both a symbol of healthcare reform and a testament to political collaboration — a rare intersection in Kenya’s often divided development narrative.