Kenneth Matiba hospital at Makenji in Murang'a countyThe Kenya Defence Forces have begun constructing a new 100-bed facility that will include a trauma centre and a doctors’ plaza at the Kenneth Matiba Hospital in Murang’a.
The facility, originally established at Kenol town to offer optical and dental services, was relocated in July last year to Makueni.
It is built along the Thika-Embu highway on 1,300 acres ceded by Delmonte Company to the county.
This helped the county save Sh1.2 million that the facility accrued every month in rent, while easing access to services by Kandara, Maragua and Gatanga residents.
On Friday, Defence PS Patrick Mariru led the groundbreaking ceremony.
He said the construction will be overseen by the KDF and will be completed in six months.
“We are here under the instructions of President William Ruto, who earlier spoke to the local leadership about the hospital,” Mariru said.
“We have been instructed to expand the facility.”
The project he will be undertaken by a local contractor, who will be required to source for labour locally, and will be funded by the national government.
“The Ministry of Defence will not be the hands on the ground,” he said.
“Its role is just supervising, and we’re finalising on the total costs of the expansion.”
The ministry is undertaking similar projects in Meru, JM Kariuki (Nyandarua), Nyamira, Siaya, Sogoo (Narok), Narok, Githunguri (Kiambu) and Mutu-ini (Nairobi) health facilities.
The expansion will expand the facility from the current 20-bed capacity and provide treatment to the many accident victims along the highway.
Governor Irungu Kang’ata said accident victims are currently forced to travel to Maragua or Murang’a hospitals, which are far off, to get treatment.
“The PS has assured us that construction will start on Monday and will be completed in time,” he said.
Governor Irungu Kang'ata, deputy governor Stephen Munania and Defence PS Patrick Mariru with other government officials at Kenneth Matiba Hospital in Murang'aThe governor said he wrote to Kenya National Highways Authority to consider constructing a fly-over to enable patients to cross the highway as they go to and from the hospital but noted he hasn’t received any response.
He however, noted that the authority erected rumble strips that made it safer for people to cross the busy highway.
The government will also construct an international stadium next to the hospital as part of the Special Economic Zone on which manufacturers and processors are expected to set base.
The county has allocated 75 acres for a MediCity, an area set aside for medical and nonmedical industries, 276 acres for light, medium and heavy industries, 23 acres for a technology and innovation hub, 43 acres for a commercial hub, 10 acres for a stadium and 57 acres for a recreational area.
A market will occupy two acres, a bus station three acres, schools 16 acres, housing 12 acres and affordable housing 22 acres.
Sports Principal Secretary Elijah Mwangi said a team from his department will assess the space allocated for the stadium and that a design will be ready in two weeks.
“The stadium will be constructed in phases. In the first phase, we will construct football, handball, volleyball and rugby pitches, and a perimeter fence. Terraces will be done later when more funds are available”.
The Ministry is also in the process of constructing Mumbi stadium in Murang’a town that will have a 10,000-seat capacity.
In Kandara, a sports academy will be established at Mukerenju Primary School.
“We’re doing many stadiums, including in Kirinyaga, Nyeri, Isiolo, Marsabit, Uasin Gishu, Nandi, Turkana and Meru, and this is in line with the Competency Based Education. Our plan is to establish a sports academy in every constituency”.
