Kitui Governor Dr. Julius Malombe and Defence Principal Secretary Patrick Mariru today unveiled the plaque for the Nzamba Kitonga Memorial Hospital in Mutitu/Kaliku Ward, Kitui East Sub-County in a major step towards strengthening healthcare services in the county.

The specialized facility will focus on treatment of respiratory and infectious diseases and serve residents from Kitui East and other parts of the county.

In his remarks, Governor Malombe said the project indicates his administration’s commitment to accessible and quality healthcare services.

“The establishment of the Nzamba Kitonga Memorial Hospital has been informed by lessons learnt during the 2020-2021 COVID-19 pandemic, which exposed major gaps in preparedness and management of respiratory and infectious diseases globally and locally, including inadequate isolation wards, limited specialized respiratory disease treatment units, insufficient diagnostic and laboratory capacity, and weak emergency referral systems within the region.” He added.

The county chief pointed out that upper respiratory tract infections remain a leading cause of illness in the county, adding that the facility was conceptualized following lessons learnt during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Governor said he initiated the project following the death of renowned constitutional lawyer Nzamba Kitonga in 2020, describing the hospital as a lasting tribute to his contribution to the country.

The county chief commended President William Ruto for supporting the project through an allocation of KSh 200 million by the National Government.

The hospital will have a capacity of 75 beds and specialized outpatient clinics, with the County Government set to equip the facility and deploy healthcare workers upon completion.