Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru on Sunday, February 8 laid the foundation for construction of a modern maternity wing at Mutithi Health Centre, a move set to transform maternal and newborn healthcare in Mwea.
The facility will go a long way in saving mothers from the costly hustle of travelling far from home in search of maternal services in hospitals such as Kimbimbi.
Once completed, the 30-bed facility will feature an operating theatre, a newborn unit, antenatal and postnatal wards, a mother and child welfare clinic, as well as a laboratory and pharmacy.
The new maternity wing being constructed at a cost of 62.5 million with the support of Mpesa Foundation with is expected to significantly reduce referrals, ease congestion at higher-level hospitals, and ensure that mothers deliver safely and with dignity closer to their homes.
“This project will significantly improve maternal and newborn healthcare services in Mwea West,” Governor Waiguru said, noting that the county has over the years made deliberate investments to strengthen health infrastructure and service delivery.
She noted that those investments have yielded measurable results since 2017, whereby antenatal coverage has improved from 45 to 63 per cent, while maternal mortality has reduced from 88 to 55 deaths per 100,000 live births. Neonatal mortality has dropped from 26 to 10 deaths per 1,000 live births, skilled birth attendance has risen from 87 to 92 per cent, and full immunization coverage by 12 months has increased from 81 to 91 per cent. Mother-to-child transmission of HIV has also reduced from 13 per cent to 6.5 per cent.
The groundbreaking ceremony was held alongside a large-scale free medical camp at Mutithi Primary School, which the Governor said reflects the county’s commitment to people-centered leadership and partnerships that deliver tangible impact to residents.
“This event reinforces our collective efforts to bring healthcare closer to the people, where it truly belongs,” Governor Waiguru said.
The free medical camp aimed at reaching more than 3,000 residents drawn from Mwea West and neighboring areas. Services offered included general outpatient consultations with free medicine, family planning and reproductive health services, breast, cervical and prostate cancer screening, eye and dental care, disability assessment and therapy, screening for non-communicable diseases, nutritional counseling, and registration under the Social Health Authority (SHA).
In a major boost to access to healthcare, the M-Pesa Foundation offered to sponsor 100 residents with one year of SHA premiums, targeting patients with serious medical conditions who are currently uninsured. Governor Waiguru lauded the foundation for its generosity, describing the support as “a powerful demonstration of social responsibility and compassion.”
She also thanked Zuri Health, the main implementing partner, as well as Lions Sight First Eye Hospital and the Kenya Institute of Special Education (KISE), for collaborating with the county government to make quality healthcare more accessible and affordable.
The County Government of Kirinyaga supported the initiative through the deployment of healthcare workers, provision of medical equipment, ambulance services, medical supplies, and community mobilization. Waiguru assured residents that all referral cases arising from the camp will receive proper follow-up within the county health system.
Residents were encouraged to fully utilize the services offered at the medical camp, while Community Health Promoters were urged to continue sensitizing the public on preventive healthcare and the importance of early health-seeking behavior.
She also highlighted other projects by the county government including upgrading of Kerugoya Hospital from Level Four to Level Five, the ongoing upgrade of Kimbimbi and Kianyaga Hospital from Level Three to Level Four.
Mpesa Foundation’s Executive Trustee Patricia Ithau said the organization has invested about 500 million in supporting various development initiatives in the county.
Ithau said the new maternity wing will go a long in supporting maternal healthcare in the county.
