4,000 residents of Machakos, Kitui benefit from KDF's free medical camp

A KDF officer takes a patient through an eye test at Kithyoko Health Centre on February 3, 2026. [Philip Muasya, Standard] 

More than 4,000 residents of Machakos and Kitui counties have benefited from a free medical camp conducted by the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) at Kithyoko Health Centre.

The week-long outreach was aimed at improving access to essential healthcare services.

Major Emmanuel Welime said the medical camp that ended on Tuesday offered a wide range of services including general consultation, cervical cancer screening, dental care, eye treatment and management of non-communicable diseases such as hypertension, arthritis and diabetes.

“This exercise is part of our civil-military cooperation programme where we interact with civilians and give back to the society,” said Maj Welime.

“It was a good opportunity for us to serve the community around this region, especially those who may not easily access quality healthcare services. Common ailments presented by patients included eye complications, dental problems and non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, arthritis and hypertension,” he added.

He said that the medical camp that was conducted in collaboration with Gaps Foundation, also focused on early detection of serious conditions, particularly cervical cancer which remains a major health concern among women.

During the exercise, several patients were referred for further treatment to Machakos Level V and Matuu level IV hospitals. Two critically ill patients who needed specialised treatment were transferred to Defence Forces Memorial Hospital in Nairobi.

Captain Muthui (left) and Major Emmanuel Welime hand over medicine and medical consumables to Vincent Kimeu (second right) the officer in charge of Kithyoko Health Centre in Machakos County on February 3, 2026. [Philip Muasya, Standard] 

“The referrals were necessary for cases that required specialised attention beyond what could be offered at the camp,” Maj Welime said.

Sarah Kamene, one of the patients praised the initiative for easing the burden on healthcare costs.

“I have been struggling with leg pain and dental problems for a long time. Today I have been treated and given medicine for free,” Kamene said.

Another beneficiary, Winrose Mutati said she received treatment for persistent backache. “The doctors listened to me carefully and explained everything. I have faith that the drugs i was given will work,” she said.

Gaps Foundation patron Elijah Kyuli said the partnership with KDF has been ongoing for the last five years, where over 20,000 patients have been served.

“We have been working with KDF to roll out these medical camps annually. Every year the number of patients keeps increasing and this shows that such health initiatives have positive impact on the rural communities, majority of whom are poor,” Kyuli said.

The officer in charge of Kithyoko Health Centre, Vincent Kimeu, lauded the collaboration, saying it had significantly improved service delivery during the period.

“This partnership has made it convenient to treat many patients within a short time. We thank the KDF for bringing specialised personnel, equipment and drugs, which has greatly supported our facility,” Kimeu said.

At the conclusion of the exercise, Maj Welime and his colleagues handed over surplus medicine and medical consumables to the facility’s in-charge.