AfDB to inject Sh8b for construction of Bungoma refferal hospital

The African Development Bank (AfDB) will inject Sh8 billion to finance the construction of the newly proposed Bungoma County Referral and Teaching Hospital.

Speaking at the Bungoma KMTC grounds, National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang'ula said that the project will not draw funding from the national exchequer. "The upgrade of Bungoma County Referral Hospital to a Level Six facility should not burden public coffers. The project is fully funded by the African Development Bank," he clarified.

He added that the ADB has already deposited the required funds with the National Treasury. The Cabinet has already approved the hospital upgrade, which, upon completion, will become the only Level Six medical facility in the Western region.

"The elevation of this hospital will be a game-changer for healthcare in our region. It will receive direct government funding and offer specialised medical services equivalent to those provided in other Level Six hospitals across the country," Wetang'ula said.

He noted that the Kenya Medical Training College, Bungoma campus, will benefit from the project through infrastructure development and the introduction of additional academic programmes to enhance medical training.

In related development, Wetang'ula revealed that the government has initiated the transfer of 30 acres of land from the Bungoma airstrip to the County Government of Bungoma.

This follows a directive from President William Ruto to decommission the current airstrip and pave the way for the construction of a smart city.

"The land transfer has been necessitated by the development of a new airstrip at Matulo in Webuye on a land parcel that was donated by the county. The smart city project will be established on the old airstrip grounds," he said.

The Speaker also disclosed plans to relocate Bungoma Sports Club and nearby government institutions to the newly acquired land to facilitate the hospital's expansion.

He also announced that the new Matulo Airstrip is set for expansion to meet international standards, with Sh100 million allocated to the project, equally funded by the National Treasury and the county government.

Wetang'ula further stated that work on other development projects that have stalled due to funding constraints will now resume.

The National Treasury has allocated Sh8.5 billion for key road projects across the county. He noted that plans are underway to upgrade the Eldoret-Webuye-Malaba highway into a dual carriageway, as part of a broader vision to transform Bungoma into a city.

Bungoma County Governor Ken Lusaka thanks President William Ruto for the proposed project.

The Sh8 billion Kakamega County Level Six Hospital stalled a few years ago due to financial constraints, and it was handed over to the State

However, construction and equipping of the facility did not commence, forcing the government to hand it over to the Kenya Defence Forces.