Murang'a: The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), in partnership with the Murang'a County Government, has embarked on the construction of a 100-bed hospital wing at Kenneth Matiba Hospital located in the Makenji area of Kandara Sub-County. The project includes the development of a trauma centre and a doctors' plaza, and it is expected to be completed within six months.
According to Kenya News Agency, the Defence Principal Secretary, Patrick Mariru, and Murang'a County Governor, Irungu Kang'ata, commissioned the construction of this health facility, which aims to enhance healthcare service delivery in Murang'a south. During the groundbreaking event, Governor Kang'ata emphasized the strategic importance of the expansion, highlighting the 24-hour operation of the trauma centre to manage road accident emergencies in the region.
Governor Kang'ata noted that the hospital's location along the busy Thika-Kenol highway makes it well-positioned to handle road accident victims. Currently, Kenneth Matiba Hospital has a bed capacity of 20, and the expansion will increase this to 120, significantly enhancing its capacity to serve patients. He also outlined efforts to improve health service delivery by constructing new dispensaries and upgrading existing hospitals in the county.
The collaboration between the national and county governments was lauded by Kang'ata, who revealed that the county had provided land for the new hospital building. He expressed a vision of expanding the hospital to a level-5 status. Principal Secretary Mariru reiterated the national government's commitment to supporting county development and noted that the new hospital buildings would be constructed by KDF and fully funded by the national government.
Additionally, Governor Kang'ata announced further government investment in the county, including a proposed 10,000-seater Mumbi Stadium in Murang'a town to support local sports and talent development. Sports PS Elijah Mwangi is expected to lead the construction of another stadium in Murang'a south, contributing to local sports and infrastructure development. PS Mwangi, present at the hospital groundbreaking, mentioned ongoing efforts with the Murang'a government to identify a suitable location for the second stadium.