The government has adopted a public-private partnership model to upgrade and equip hospital equipment across the country, President William Ruto has announced.
The President explained that in the innovative arrangement called fee-for-service, private sector players install and maintain crucial medical equipment, with hospitals only paying for the services offered.
He said the model not only saves national and county governments from spending huge sums of money on purchasing and maintaining expensive equipment, but also reduces waste in the procurement process.
He also pointed out that the arrangement ensures that suppliers ensure the equipment is functional for them to make a financial return while hospitals focus on delivering quality healthcare to patients.
“The primary objective of the government is to treat citizens; owning equipment is secondary. If we can get someone to own the equipment and we get the service, the better for us. We don’t have to incur a huge financial outlay,” he said.
President Ruto spoke during the commissioning of a KSh.130 million modern CT Scan Unit at Nakuru County Referral and Teaching Hospital. He was accompanied by Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika, Trade Cabinet Secretary Lee Kinyanjui, MPs and MCAs.
This state-of-the-art equipment, acquired through the fee-for-service partnership, will double the hospital’s capacity to 100 scans a day. It also includes a heart treatment kit powered by AI technology.
The President said the government will install more than 70 such advanced machines in health facilities across the country.
Governor Kihika commended the new programme, saying it had enabled the county to acquire hospital equipment it would otherwise not have been able to purchase.
At the same time, President Ruto announced that the government has waived the national identification card first-time issuance and replacement fee for all Kenyans.
He said the government will no longer charge the KSh1,000 fee for replacing lost identification cards.
“From today, if you have lost your identification card, go and get another ID. The KSh1,000 we used to charge has been waived,” he said.
Saying some Kenyans over 18 years of age fear applying for IDs because the fees charged, the President said they would now get the vital document for free and they wont also be questioned about their background and why they did not apply on time.
President Ruto once again expressed the government’s delivery of tangible transformation in the country.
“Kenya cannot be transformed through empty rhetoric, tribalism or hate. Kenya will only be transformed through development programmes,” he said.
The President called for unity of purpose, saying the government will serve all Kenyans equally without leaving any region behind.
He reminded leaders that Kenyans will judge them based on the work they have done to improve lives.
On politics, the President said he would meet his competitors in 2027 and pledged to place his track record before Kenyans.
“We will present our development achievements and they will present their propaganda,” he pointed out.
The President appealed to parents to ensure their children go to school, noting that the government has made huge investments in education to guarantee access for every child.
He said the government has hired 100,000 teachers and built 23,000 classrooms in the past three years.
“We do not want any child left behind. Every child should go to school because education is what brings equality in society,” he said.
The President said the government is implementing programmes, projects and policies to expand job opportunities for young people.
He also asked Kenyans to register with the Social Health Authority to enable the government to plan better for healthcare.
In Nakuru County, the President said the government will spend KSh2.6 billion to build 230km of new tarmac roads.
He announced that the government will resettle 900 families of Internally Displaced Persons in Pipeline, near Lanet, to their new homes in Ndonga and Kisima farms.
“From tomorrow, we will give each family KSh20,000 to help in the relocation,” he said.
Prof Kindiki said the government is focused on delivering promises made to Kenyans, noting that the
President is working with other leaders to ensure the country achieves its development goals.
His remarks were echoed by Governor Kihika, who said the President is keeping his promises to the people of Nakuru and the country.
She cited the resettlement of IDPs, construction of affordable housing, new markets, equipping of hospitals, construction of roads, and water supply projects, among others.
“Let us not listen to propaganda from those who have nothing to offer,” she said.
In Kiratina, Nakuru Town East Constituency, the President broke ground for the construction of Susan Kihika Primary and Junior School.
He also launched the Nakuru East Last Mile Connectivity Project, part of the KSh2.6 billion investment to connect over 22,000 households to electricity in the county.
He also laid the foundation stone for the Lanet B Affordable Housing Project in Gilgil Constituency, a landmark 2,100-unit development employing more than 3,000 young people. He described it as a real game-changer for the area.
Additionally, President Ruto said the government will build 25 new markets and over 21,000 affordable housing units across Nakuru County, creating more than 30,000 jobs and unlocking opportunities for enterprise and community growth.
At Kongasis, Gilgil Constituency, the President inspected the ongoing construction of the Jogoo-Kiptagwany-Munanda-Tangi Tano and Munanda-Kiambogo-Kongasis roads.
He pointed out that the Ministry of Roads will extend the project to Elementaita to boost connectivity and spur economic activity.
He also granted residents’ request for a modern market, which will become the 26th to be built in the county.
At Kiptangwany, the President issued more than 2,700 title deeds to residents, covering 6,100 acres and ending a 50-year dispute over land ownership.
President Ruto announced that the government had waived KSh30 million fees to enable beneficiaries, most of them elderly, to obtain ownership documents.
He added that the government will soon resolve other pending land issues in the region, including the Ol Jerai Scheme dispute.
He said the government is building modern hostels at Gilgil Technical Training Institute in Munanda.
At the same time, he ddonated KSh3 million towards the construction of a dormitory at Murereshwa Girls School.
He called on security agencies to intensify the crackdown against illicit brew, which is rampant in the area.
In Ndabibi, Naivasha Constituency, the President launched the construction of the 42km Kasarani-Kongoni-Olkaria and Ndabibi access roads.
