- KenGen who are the main financiers of the project have picked a contractor
- Multi-million project came as a result of a directive from President Uhuru Kenyatta
Image: GEORGE MURAGE
After months of waiting, work on the proposed Sh300 million new outpatient wing at Naivasha subcounty will kick off next month.
KenGen who are the main financiers of the project have picked a contractor for project expected to reduce congestion.
There has been concern over the delay in the multi-million project which came as a result of a directive from President Uhuru Kenyatta early last year.
According to the CEC for Health in Nakuru county Kariuki Gichuki, a contractor for the project has been identified and the tender awarded.
He termed the tender as the tricky part, noting that all due legal processes had to be followed before it was awarded.
“KenGen, which is the main financier, was doing the tender work which is complete and the county has provided land,” he said.
Gichuki noted that when complete the facility would have a modern outpatient wing to reduce congestion.
“Naivasha subcounty hospital currently serves hundreds of patients from the neighbouring counties of Nyandarua, Kiambu and Narok and this project will come in handy,” he said.
Gichuki said there would be a new trauma centre which will deal with the high number of accidents along the Nairobi-Nakuru highway and the Naivasha-Mai Mahiu road.
“When the facility is done we expect to hire more medical personnel and make sure that it is fully equipped to address all kinds of emergencies,” he said.
The chairman of the hospital board Simon Kanyingi said the project was on course with the land already identified.
Kanyingi admitted that congestion had been a challenge to the facility, noting that this would be a thing of the past when the new wing is completed.
“The delay in starting the project was due to the slow procurement process which included Treasury giving its nod and we are happy that this has been done as the contractor moves to the site,” he said.
A senior manager from KenGen and who declined to be named confirmed that funds set aside for the project were intact and the project will continue as planned.
“We have already picked a contractor and it’s a matter of days before he is on the ground as directed by the head of state,” the manager said.