By Eddah Waithaka
The government will continue to back initiatives that close the healthcare access gap, especially in underserved regions, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi pledged on Friday.
Mudavadi made the commitment at Itando Mission Hospital in Vihiga County while commissioning a new, high-tech digital X-ray machine.
The Kenya Pipeline Company Foundation (KPC Foundation) donated the KES 3.5 million unit.The new equipment ends a long-standing burden for local patients, who previously had to undertake costly and arduous journeys to Kakamega or Kisumu counties for essential diagnostic imaging.
Speaking at the event, Mudavadi directly thanked the KPC Foundation for its critical role in strengthening rural healthcare.
“The commissioning of this digital X-ray machine is a definitive step toward achieving universal health coverage and ensuring quality medical services for all Kenyans,” Mudavadi stated.
“It reflects our bigger goal of helping communities live healthier lives.”
He urged the local community to protect the new facility to ensure it serves future generations.A member of the KPC Foundation Board of Trustees, Joyce Emanikor, reaffirmed the organization’s dedication to improving lives through strategic investments in health, education, and water and sanitation.
“Investing in healthcare is key to unlocking a brighter future for all Kenyans,” Emanikor said. “Today’s commissioning reflects our core belief that health is a fundamental human right and the cornerstone of thriving communities.”
Sister Catherine Barare, the Hospital Administrator, hailed the donation as a transformative gift for the community.
“This X-ray machine is more than just equipment,” she said. “It is a symbol of hope, progress, and commitment to a healthier future for all.”
The project at Itando Mission Hospital expands the KPC Foundation’s significant portfolio in healthcare, which includes an KES 8 million health facility in Laikipia County and a KES 5 million newborn unit in Mombasa.
Beyond healthcare, the Foundation also recently addressed education needs in Vihiga by commissioning a 100-capacity dormitory at Chavakali High School to alleviate severe student congestion.
