Three weeks ago, the projected multi-million Thogoto Level Four Hospital in Kikuyu, Kiambu County, welcomed you with a tethered goat grazing freely in an untidy compound of shrubs, long grass, and destroyed concrete walls.
Launched more than seven years ago by the county government, the facility was planned to be a 150-bed, cutting-edge hospital that would serve the densely populated Kikuyu sub-county and parts of the adjacent Ndeiya in Limuru, which for years had been required to travel miles to the Kiambu, Tigoni, and Wangige hospitals.

The building was quickly characterized as a “white elephant” because it took longer to build than expected due to tense relations between the contractor and the regional administration over the latter’s failure to pay outstanding invoices, ultimately leading to the contractor leaving the construction site.

Instead of drawing patients, it attracted criminals and street families who looted and vandalized building supplies, turning it into a place to sleep.

“The project was initially intended to be completed to improve the community, but it has only served to attract thieves, making us feel guilty and anguished. Additionally, people come here to graze their livestock because no one maintains the compound. A local of the Thogoto area, Joseph Kimani, stated that robbers also allegedly tore down fences to steal building stones for sale.

Six level four hospitals launched in 2016 and 2018 have all been in this situation since the previous administration didn’t pay the contractors and made them leave the project sites, which would have expanded the county’s hospital capacity by roughly 1,600 beds.

However, after Governor Kimani Wamatangi revived the six hospital projects and began the elevation of Gachororo and Karuri level three facilities in Juja and Kiambaa, respectively, by constructing 200-bed wings in each of them, the county is expected to increase its hospital.

“Work has now resumed, and by December, we anticipate completion of the contract’s infrastructure work, allowing for immediate outfitting and operationalization,” stated Wamatangi, adding that he has allocated Sh216 million to the project.

Juja has been the only sub-county in Kiambu without a level four hospital, forcing patients to seek services in either Gatundu, Thika, or Ruiru, and it will also get a 200-bed facility to meet the threshold of a level four facility.
Over Sh1.5 billion in health projects have been launched by the Kiambu County Government since Mr Wamatangi took office, including completing the stalled projects, constructing 13 new facilities, and undergoing renovations.
‘Projects have stalled some for more than ten years, and our facilities haven’t had a facelift from when they were built, not even one coat of paint; with the commitment of our governor, it is a new dawn in terms of infrastructure and service delivery ‘ Mr. Stephen Musyoka- Director Planning and administration Health Services.

As part of the regional government’s initiatives to boost access to healthcare and enhance service delivery, Mr. Wamatangi has begun constructing 13 new level three hospitals in different county wards for a total cost of Sh650 million, each costing Sh50 million.

The county chief estimates that the 13 new facilities will be finished and functional by the end of this year.
This will increase the number of health facilities in the county from 114 to 127.

The governor has performed groundbreaking ceremonies to construct Kiamumbi Level Three Hospital in Kiambu Township Sub-County, Kahawa Sukari in Ruiru Sub-County, and Kawaida Level Three in Cianda Ward, Kiambaa Sub-County.

Ndumberi, Gitaru, Kahawa Wendani, Athena in Thika, Kawaida, and Mwihoko are the additional new level three hospitals in addition to Ndenderu, Gitothua, Kiawaroga in Limuru, Ndenderu, Gitaru, and Athena.
Infrastructure is crucial to emergency response in every area, including health: “As a County, we strive to provide access to all Kiambu residents, which is why we are establishing health facilities in every ward.” Dr. Patrick Nyaga, the county’s Chief Officer for health services, said.

The new facilities include an outpatient wing, a maternity wing with 16 beds, a ten-bed general ward, a small theatre, and a mini-laboratory.

The governor promised that we would complete all of the projects by December, and they will all be open to the public, adding that the new hospitals will help address congestion, especially with the growing in-flow of patients from neighboring Nairobi, Machakos, Murang’a, and Nakuru county.
In addition, the county was finishing four level four hospitals, including Githunguri, Lari, Bibirioni in Limuru, Thogoto Kikuyu, and Wangige, which had been delayed for years because the previous administration needed to pay contractors.

However, the project resumed when Governor Wamatangi cleared money for the already-finished work.
The 200-bed wing of the Lari Level Four project, situated near Rukuma along the Nairobi-Nakuru Highway, is estimated to cost 192 million. However, unpaid bills put the project’s implementation off for years. However, new talks between the county and the contractor have led to the restart of construction.
Githunguri Level Four Hospital is another significant health project that the governor is working on completing and launching.

In 2018, First Lady Margaret Kenyatta commissioned the construction of this Sh800 million investment, a joint venture between the county and national governments.

The 280-bed facility’s infrastructure is almost finished, and according to the plans, it will have a multi-story modern facility with services like an intensive care unit, a modern outpatient clinic, a maternity ward, a mental health unit, as well as a cancer unit, accident and emergency unit, among others.

The county is already finalizing the infrastructure bit and also equipping it, saying he has already reached out to the Ministry of Health, which has agreed to supplement his efforts of procuring state-of-the-art equipment for the
facility.

The Department of Health, in an endeavor to improve healthcare services, has purchased assorted hospital equipment worth Ksh. 500 million.

The availability of cutting-edge technology, well-kept facilities, and qualified healthcare workers are frequently linked to the quality of healthcare services. Without suitable infrastructure, people may travel significantly to get medical services, delaying or even forgoing treatment,” Health Services CEMC Dr. Elias Maina said.

Further, renovations are being undertaken in the following health facilities: Thika and Kiambu Level Five hospitals, Kihara, Kigumo, Igegania, Tigoni, Nyathuna Level Four hospitals, as well as Kamae, Ngoliba, Kinale, Juja Farm, Makongeni, Rironi and Ngorongo dispensaries.

Additionally, Mr. Wamatangi has started creating a multi-billion hospital fund to finance the country’s healthcare operations exclusively.
The Facility Improvement Fund (FIF), funded by grants from the County Revenue Fund (CRF) and cash and insurance schemes from services provided in health facilities, has already reached Sh700 million from a negative figure in just one year.

The governor stated that he plans to increase the kitty to Sh1 billion by December of this year to ensure enough cash reserve is set aside expressly to run the health facilities efficiently. The meeting was held as part of the campaign to improve healthcare.

“The county FIF was continuously operating in the red because the health sector management would borrow money to put into the fund, then if the loan were paid off, they would borrow money again to maintain hospital operations. However, as soon as I took office, we decided to put actual, severe measures in place to ensure that every cent that came in was securely locked away. As a result, the FIF has gone from having a negative deficit to having a plus of Sh700 million, Wamatangi said.

The FIF purse is ideally intended to assist individual hospitals in managing their operations, including timely purchases of medications, equipment, renovations, and payment of temporary workers, among other operational costs where which health facilities are permitted to manage the funds they create.
The fund provides a consistent, dependable, and predictable source of income for health operations throughout the county by requiring all public hospitals to earn their revenue and use it solely to improve the quality of care at the institutions.

One aspect of the socio-economic empowerment program that has ignited great enthusiasm among the residents of Kiambu is the distribution of indigenous “Kienyeji” chicks to women across the County.
The comprehensive empowerment program serves as an exemplary model for rural development, simultaneously addressing the economic well-being of local farmers and ensuring that the County’s youngest residents have access to nutritious meals.

Since the launch of this programme by Governor Kimani Wamatangi in the mid this year, thousands of residents have received these chicks, which will soon transform them into entrepreneurs, enabling them to generate income from the venture.

According to Governor Wamatangi, the County also plans to expand the empowerment initiative to include the distribution of piglets to men, ensuring sustainable growth for the farming community.
This multifaceted program is designed to tackle both the economic challenges faced by local farmers and ensure vital nutrition for the more than 36,000 Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) learners enrolled in the County’s 534 public ECDE centres.

The program, which began in June of this year, is operating in all 60 wards, and its success hinges on a two-pronged approach. Local farmers are being provided with one-month-old enhanced Kienyeji chicks to rear, offering them an opportunity to participate in egg production and contribute to the County’s school feeding program. To facilitate this, farmers are encouraged to form cooperative societies, enabling them to supply eggs in bulk to the county government collectively.

As part of the program, women in the County are being specifically trained to become leading suppliers of eggs, with the goal of both economic empowerment and ensuring a consistent source of nutritious food for young children. This program not only benefits local farmers but also tackles the issue of local egg supply, which has been a challenge for the County Government in recent times.

“I am excited that my dream of becoming a poultry farmer has materialised thanks to Governor Wamatangi. I expect that by December, my chicken will have started laying eggs to enable me to have a brood,” says Monica Wanjiku, one of the beneficiaries in Mwimuto in Kabete.

The County has approximately 36,000 ECDE children attending 534 public ECDE centres. Each child is provided with three eggs per week as part of their nutritious diet, amounting to 108,000 eggs per week.
Over a term of 13 weeks, the County requires a staggering 1,404,000 eggs, which costs Sh18 per egg, including delivery expenses. This equates to an income of Sh18,272,000 per term, benefiting the local farmers.

Speaking about the program, Governor Wamatangi stated: “Some people seem not to understand the reasoning behind our Kienyeji chicks distribution program. We are preparing these farmers to be our suppliers of eggs. Once the chicks have matured, laid eggs, and hatched, we expect the farmers not to have less than 40 chickens. These can lay up to 30 eggs per day and 140 per week. With the Sh18 that we are buying an egg, it means that per week, they will be earning Sh3,780. This is what we call economic empowerment.”

According to County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Agriculture Mr. Wilfred Mwenda, one of the notable advantages of using improved Kienyeji chicks for this program is their cost-effective nature in terms of feeding, making it accessible and sustainable for local farmers.
To ensure accountability and proper documentation, the CECM says all beneficiaries of the chicken program are being registered upon receiving the chicks. This data will be subsequently used for registration within the cooperative framework.

“We are looking forward to having very vibrant and solid local cooperatives that will empower our people. It is just a matter of time before the fruits of this great initiative is seen,” says Mwenda.

In addition to the poultry initiative, The County Government has partnered with the National Government to establish an aggregation centre that will assist local farmers. The centre at Waruhiu in Githunguri, with a total investment of Sh500 million (Sh250 million from each government), is currently in the tendering stage. The centre will be pivotal for value addition to various farm produce, including avocados.

The Department of Agriculture has also put special emphasis on the lucrative Hass Avocado, which has the potential to transform the lives of Kiambu people.

As part of empowering farmers across Kiambu, the county government will be distributing 10 avocado trees to each farmer, further promoting agricultural growth and economic empowerment

Just next to Ruiru Level Four Hospital in Kiambu County stands a vast building resembling a warehouse.

On-site laborers are completing its finishing touches.

The County Government of Kiambu aims to use the building as a central medical facility where all of its supply orders for pharmaceuticals and non-pharmaceuticals will be housed before they are dispersed to all its 114 hospitals across the County.

Dr. Esther Kamau, the County Head of the Health Technologies and Products Unit, says the facility which is 95% complete will enable the County to refill pharmaceuticals in all facilities on time by eradicating delays caused by procurement bottlenecks.

This is because the County will be placing orders in advance and holding them at the facility and for restocking hospitals that run low on drugs.

“The Governor, H.E Dr. Kimani Wamatangi, has already ordered that the drug level in our medical facilities should never go below 85%. We have tried to keep this up, but this facility will be crucial in ensuring that we keep a drug level of 95% as, once it is finished and operational, we won’t be placing orders when our facilities are almost running out of stock. We will already have the orders for the commodities continuously distributed to the hospitals,” Dr Esther said.

Health Services County Executive Committee Dr. Elias Maina said the store will be connected to a Hospital Management System that will be linked to all facilities in the County for proper management and monitoring of the flow of drugs.

In the meantime, the governor has ordered that all medicine and non-pharmaceutical supplies be verified centrally before they are distributed to the various facilities within the County.

“This is to ensure that all requests are filled exactly as requested. Additionally, we have increased the amount of time we spend monitoring the supply at the facilities,” Dr Maina said.

The County established the Health Products and Technologies Unit (HPTU) with the Department of Health Services, with a mandate to coordinate and oversee all functions related to health products and technologies’ supplies and activities.

It was established to respond to the commodity security challenges experienced over the years, and it manages all the products under “one roof,” which will increase accountability and accessibility of stock movement with an end-to-end visibility mechanism in place to ensure increased efficiency in commodity management.

It handles pharmaceuticals, non-pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, vaccines & therapeutic antisera, medical equipment & devices, medical appliances & materials, health technologies, laboratory supplies & reagents, dental materials, hospital consumables, and any other material or equipment as may be necessary for the delivery of healthcare services in the County.

The County Government of Kiambu could enter into the books of history after Governor Kimani Wamatangi crossed to the 2023/2024 financial year without a pending bill for the previous financial year.
The county leader added that no unpaid bills for work completed or products and services were provided to the regional government during the 2022–2023 fiscal year.

“Kiambu is the only county that transitioned to the 2023–2024 fiscal year without even one outstanding bill from the 2022–2023 fiscal year. I gave directives that departments should procure any goods and services or even advertise for a project, no matter how big or small it is, unless they have the money. We are running on a cash basis, “Mr Wamatangi said.

Mr Wamatangi also said he had paid over Sh2.4 billion as part of the pending bills he inherited from the previous administration, as he seeks to redeem the county’s reputation among contractors and suppliers who had gone to a level to stop doing business with it over nonpayment.

Wamatangi announced the creation of a mechanism to pay down the outstanding debt at a rate of Sh2 billion annually.
“I discovered bills totaling Sh7 billion, which I paid for with roughly 2 billion shillings, leaving us with Sh5 billion. I plan to clear it all since individuals invested their money believing they were assisting the county in fulfilling its purpose, but the receivers refused to pay,” the governor said.
According to a report by Auditor General Nancy Gathungu on Kiambu County’s County financial operations, the devolved government accumulated a pending bill of Sh2 billion from 2020 to 2021. This brought the total to Sh5.7 billion as of June 30, 2021.

“As disclosed, financial statements reflect a total pending bill of Sh5.7 billion as of June 30, 2021. The balance includes pending bills of Sh3.7 billion from the financial year 2019/2020 and earlier years. Failure to pay pending bills within the year affects the budget operations of the succeeding year and may attract interests and penalties,” reads part of the audit report now before the Senate.

The governor said he had instituted stringent measures to tame theft and wastage, including austerity measures that include suspension of county meetings in hotels, saying some county employees had even nicknamed a tent at the county headquarters “Naivasha” as the new venue for internal meetings by county staff.
With the tent, the county has done away with workshops in high-end hotels in Mombasa and Naivasha and international benchmarking trips where senior county officials have been blowing up millions in allowances and other logistic expenses.

The governor claimed he had implemented a new debt payment discipline that required departments to complete payments for all tenders within 14 days of delivery to prevent the regional government from further falling into bad debts that had harmed its relationships with its contractors and suppliers.
“People have been asking me where I’ve been getting the money I keep talking about. It’s straightforward: one plus one makes two, and one more makes three. When I get money, I spend it wisely, and over time, I’ve been able to save money and live debt-free. I can easily provide you Sh3 billion today if you want me to give you the cash deposit in our account,” he claimed.

To control wastage, the governor also mandated that all supplies be purchased at fair market value instead of the county’s previous practice of paying extravagant prices for goods and services.
The governor has ordered that lower prices be negotiated for projects with submitted bids at an inflated cost.
To ensure efficiency in the tendering and awarding process and prompt payment, the governor stated that he is working on a charter to direct the procurement process in his government per the procurement regulations and Public Finance Management Act,
“I’ve made it clear that I don’t want to hear about the horrible stories we hear in the procurement departments, where personnel demands bribes to award contracts to individuals or even to have payments completed on schedule.

The phrase “education is the great equalizer” refers to the benefits and possibilities that education can offer people from all socioeconomic and social backgrounds. But this, often, has not been achieved because of the lack of a proper universal education program, forcing well-up families to opt for private institutions that have good facilities.
Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi, under the auspices of his “leave no child behind” initiative, which strives to ensure quality education for all, has started a raft of programs to not only establish a strong foundation base for education but also guarantee support to the needy people.

From launching the modernizing all its 524 Early Childhood Development Centers (ECDE), beginning a feeding program for ECDE pupils, increasing the bursary fund from Sh100 million to Sh300 million in less than one year, to setting up Vocational Training Centers in all wards, Mr Wamatangi says he has set his sights on establishing a universal public education program to benefit people from all walks of life.

Mr Wamatangi’s game-changing initiative, which completely overhauls the infrastructure of all ECDEs in Kiambu and overhauls the structure of every school in the County, is currently bringing a significant makeover to the institution, with works almost finished.

He said 130 new model ECDE centers are already being built in the first phase of the program, with some of them 95 percent complete, noting that these centers will be operational at the start of the next term.
And they are not just the ordinary classes.

The model ECDE centers will have two classrooms with tiled floors and ceilings, an office, a toilet for children and staff, and a play area for all the 36 254 kids in county government-owned centres.
“First impressions are important because they shape a person’s attitude or behavior towards something. Imagine if the children’s first exposure to schooling is in the dreadful condition of public nursery schools; how do we expect them to love learning?” Mr Wamatangi posed.

He added: “Currently, we are constructing 130 Early Childhood Education Centers (ECDE) that will be identical and will be completed in December as the first phase of a comprehensive effort to guarantee that all 524 public nursery schools are modernized in the next three years.”.

Dilapidated shacks made of timbers or iron sheets, with earth floors, stand as haunting symbols of the dire condition that has plagued ECDEs in Kiambu.
For instance, the run-down timber structure with an earth floor that houses Mbariki Nursery School in Nyanduma Ward’s Lari Sub-County, ten years after Kenya underwent devolution, is a sad reminder of the terrible state that has befallen Kiambu County’s ECDEs.

Thirty young pupils, twelve in PP2 and eighteen in PP1 classes, struggle with their studies and the uncertainty of their future and well-being within these disintegrating, hole-filled wooden walls that are meant to be the basis and foundation of all the children’s lives. But the school is one of those that are almost complete.

Further, the County has launched a feeding program for all the ECDE centres by providing a stock of porridge flour and eggs, and arrangements have been established to allow the center’s administration to make the meals.
Porridge is offered daily, and eggs are also offered on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. And starting next term, the learners will get a packet of milk every Thursday.

The governor says the program aims to increase enrollment and keep kids in schools that most have been skipping due to a lack of food.

Ms Margaret Muthoni, the chief instructor at Mbariki ECDE centre, said for the two levels of ECDE, the number of pupils was consistently under 20 and that it had only recently begun to increase after the County Government of Kiambu introduced a feeding program.

The County has been issuing bursaries to needy students. Since 2013, the previous administrations have been giving out Sh100 million per year, but Mr Wamatangi, who says the County had huge needs, had tripped the figure to Sh300 million, which will benefit 72,000 students this academic year.

“For the next academic year, my administration will increase the amount to Sh500 million to ensure that all-day scholars receive full scholarships and that boarders receive at least Sh10 000 per term,” Mr Wamatangi said

Soon after Governor Kimani Wamatangi assumed control of Kiambu County as the fourth county chief on August 27, 2022, he came under fire from some county authorities and a group of elected leaders for his decision to outlaw local and foreign seminars and benchmarking visits.

The Governor, who had been the county’s first senator for ten years, described the trips, common in regional governments, as a waste of public resources that, in his opinion, should have been used for development and service improvement, while the time officers spent on the trips would help run county affairs.

Wamatangi, renowned for his steadfast stance on prudent resource management, issued an order to all county officers, including himself, mandating holding of workshops and seminars that previously quickly passed for sponsored events in expensive hotels at the tent as part of austerity measures.

“Officers used to spend up to ten million shillings on per diem and other expenses when they flew to Mombasa and Naivasha for a week to prepare a Sh10 million project. Officers and their aides would travel to Naivasha thrice a month, twice in Kisumu and Mombasa, for workshops, some that were very unnecessary. Officers would never even travel, yet they would still sign the per diem,” the Governor said.

He added: “Sometimes, they even organized one or two trips abroad for benchmarking. Ultimately, the county would spend about a billion shilling on travel alone. That is why Kiambu was unable to carry out actual development.
But one of his radical measures that initially rattled the county management team, the Governor, who claimed that he inherited a county that “would have been auctioned due to bad debts,” erected a tent in the middle of the lawn compound at the county headquarters in Kiambu Town, which serves as a workshop and seminar venue for all meetings and workshops.

The county staff subsequently gave the tent the moniker “Vasha,” the short form for Naivasha, since whenever they schedule a meeting, even one that would last three days, they joke that it will take place at the Naivasha tent, which has a concrete floor and a red carpet and is capable of hosting over 100 people. The Governor also holds his meetings with the management team and other guests.

Departments must make reservations in advance, and the county’s catering section supplies meals for attendees.
“The tent brought us both good and bad exposure. But in the end, it has been helpful because it allows us to plan our activities quickly and inexpensively. We are happy with our Naivasha, he declared.

According to the Office of the Controller of Budget’s report on the county’s financial performance in the 2022-2023 financial year, the county executive wing of the County Government had a drastically reduced expenditure on international visits compared to other counties and compared to the previous year when the country was grappling with Covid-19 that had slowed foreign trips.

According to the report, the County Executive spent Sh1.06 million during the year under review on overseas travel, which CoB says was incurred between June 3, 2022, and June 29, 2022, while previous governor James Nyoro still led the county.

A team from the county traveled to Singapore for a “managing public-private partnership and alliance conference.”
“During the period, expenditure on domestic travel amounted to Kshs.321.69 million and comprised Kshs.220.0 million spent by the County Assembly and Kshs—101.69 million by the County Executive. Expenditure on foreign travel amounted to Kshs.81.11 million and comprised Kshs.80.04 million by the County Assembly and Kshs. 1.06 million by the County Executive,” reads the report in part.

Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakang’o has raised concerns over the counties’ expenditures on domestic and foreign travel across the counties, some up to Sh1.14 billion for Turkana County, Migori (Sh894 million), Bungoma (Sh696) million), while Tana River and Nairobi spent Sh532 million and Sh529 million on domestic travel.
To achieve what he says is making up for “lost time,” arguing that the county has wasted the last ten years, Governor Wamatangi arrives in the office around 5:15 a.m.

Unlike in other government offices where officials arrive past 8 a.m. to hang their coats and leave, here, all top county officials must attend a daily management meeting in the Governor’s office from 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. for planning and to discuss his government’s agenda as per his manifesto, and the people’s priorities

“This has been my daily routine since I took over this job. Kiambu has wasted ten years of devolution, and we have much to do to cover for the lost time, so we have come early. I clear my files every morning, and our meeting starts between 6 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. from Monday to Friday,” Wamatangi says.
The meeting entails each department presenting respective work plans, action points, and timelines and reporting on the progress of the ongoing projects and programs presented earlier, with the CECMs or chief officer required to make PowerPoint presentations on a large screen mounted on the wall.

The Governor also gives input, including making adjustments, corrections, and guidance to ensure precision.
Wamatangi says his style makes running the county a collective responsibility, boosts transparency and accountability since all departmental heads lay bare their plans to all, and enhances effectiveness and efficiency.

Dr. Margaret Ruinge, the CECM for public administration, said the meetings have been essential for monitoring the progress of county projects because, sometimes, departments must present on particular projects every day.
She also says that the meetings are necessary to ensure shared accountability among the leadership in managing the county.

The County Chief says he doesn’t regret at all, saying his modus operandi, which the county management team has become accustomed to now, has yielded a lot in terms of service delivery, saying all departments now have projects to show.

About 300,000 residents of Kiambu have benefited from a comprehensive health plan rolled out by H.E Dr Kimani Wamatangi.

The initiative, dubbed “Kiambu Afya,” would see beneficiaries enjoy enhanced medical coverage funded by the County Government and implemented by the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF). During the program launch at Kirigiti Stadium in Kiambu Town, hundreds of enthusiastic residents celebrated the new scheme that promises to unburden families from the heavy weight of healthcare costs.

The event was graced by NHIF Chairman Engineer Michael Kamau, Kiambu Woman Representative Anne Wamuratha, MPs Simon King’ara (Ruiru) and Njoroge Kururia (Gatundu North), members of the County Assembly, among other guests.

In his address, Governor Wamatangi expressed his delight at fulfilling one of the crucial pledges of his gubernatorial campaign- the provision of quality and accessible healthcare for all. “The launch of “Kiambu Afya” represents a remarkable achievement in Kiambu County’s journey towards ensuring that every resident can access high-quality healthcare, regardless of their financial status,” said the Governor.

The program, which commenced with the Universal Healthcare mass NHIF registration last December, has registered 70,600 households, encompassing over 300,000 beneficiaries. Kiambu County Government will pay NHIF premiums for all the registered households.

Governor Wamatangi announced the immediate commencement of a second registration phase targeting over 500,000 people by enrolling over 100,000 households by the year’s close.

Key features of the “Kiambu Afya” program include access to inpatient services at government-accredited hospitals across the country and enhanced outpatient care at County facilities.
Additionally, beneficiaries will receive more comprehensive coverage, including treatment of chronic diseases like hypertension and diabetes.

The Last Expense Cover, offering Kshs. 100,000 to families to cover funeral expenses, underscores the County’s commitment to supporting needy residents.

“The County’s ambulances have been refurbished and equipped to enhance service delivery, with plans to acquire six new ambulances to ensure prompt healthcare response,” the Governor noted.
The Governor issued appointment letters and kits to Community Health Promoters (CHPs), who will play a pivotal role in grassroots healthcare.

Governor Wamatangi noted that efforts to improve healthcare infrastructure in the County are underway, with the construction of 13 new level 3 hospitals and upgrading existing facilities ongoing.

“The County is also embracing modern technology by implementing a Health Management System to streamline operations, ensure efficient workflow, and reduce drug shortages. The digitisation initiative includes the provision of 1,000 computers to all 123 health facilities,” said the Governor. Stalled projects have resumed in Tigoni, Bibirioni, Wangige, Lari, and Thogoto hospitals, Wamatangi said. Engineer Kamau praised the initiative by Kiambu County as a significant stride towards making healthcare more affordable and accessible.

Kamau urged other counties to follow in Kiambu’s footsteps, acknowledging the potential nationwide improvement in healthcare accessibility and affordability.

“This is a great day for Kiambu, and if other counties were to follow suit, our nation would make incredible progress in safeguarding the health of its population,” he declared.

Beneficiaries of the medical care expressed delight at being relieved of the hospital expenses. Antony Muiruri, a resident of Kiawaroga Village in Limuru East, was elated that he had been enrolled in the program, saying it was a turning point in his life.

“Health care has become very expensive in recent times. We have struggled when our family members get sick, but with this initiative by Governor Wamatangi, I am happy all my family members are now taken care of,” said Muiruri.
He called on the County Government to ensure that the program is sustained.

“We hope this will not be like other programs in the previous regimes that were started only to die after a few months,” said the resident.

President William Ruto being explained by Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi during the official opening of the 8th Annual Devolution Conference at Eldoret Sports Club in Uasin Gishu County, on August 16, 2023 about a model of the proposed Thika Industrial Smart City with the County Government of Kiambu spearheading.

The proposed Thika Industrial Smart City encompasses manufacturing, Economic Processing Zone,affordable housing, technology and transport infrastructure which the county is partnering with the national government and private sector to put in place the facilities which are expected to create 50, 000 jobs.

The continuing renovations at Makongeni Bus Park in Kamenu, Thika, today. The 10,000 square metre BusPark serves Kitui, Matuu, and Thika town, among other places.

Similar projects are underway in Kiambu and Kikuyu townships. This month will also see the start of works in O.J. in Ruiru, Kwa Maiko in Ngewa Ward, Githunguri Town, and Karuri Bus Park in Banana Township.

The scope of work includes excavation, graveling, hardcore laying, compaction, and cabro stones laying.
They also include solarizing existing flood lighting, building public restrooms, contemporary kiosks (which will be given to the existing traders free of charge), and designated trash areas.
Na pia, hizi projects zinapea vijanaa jobs
#MakingKiambuGreatAgain

The Ruiru Central Medical Store project is presently almost 85% complete.
Most of this medical center’s structural work and infrastructure have been completed, and it is now in the final stages.

When finished, it will act as a crucial central hub for the storage and distribution of medical supplies, greatly enhancing the County’s healthcare access and effectiveness.

The County is also setting up a Health Management System that is connected to all 114 facilities in the County for proper management and effective monitoring of service delivery, including, among other things, improving turnaround times and ensuring that each facility is adequately supplied so that, if stocks run low, the system will be able to notify for replenishing.
#MakingKiambuGreatAgain