Rotary president to visit Kenya as part of African Magic Tour

Rotary International president Stephanie Urchick is set to arrive in Kenya on Sunday January 12, as part of her African Magic Tour 2025.

The visit is part of an extensive tour that will take her across five African countries including Senegal, Tunisia, and Egypt. Before arriving in Kenya, Stephanie visted Uganda.

In Kenya, Rotary District 9212, which comprises of Kenya, Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Eritrea, is hosting the RI president for a tour of various projects.

A previous visit to Kenya by a Rotary International president was by Shekar Mehta in September, 2021.

During her visit, Stephanie will announce Rotary’s commitment and support to several projects that will impact thousands of families and households in Kenya.

Currently Rotary District 9212 has active grants valued at $6 million spread over the four countries.

"As Rotary District 9212 celebrates 100 years of impactful service in Africa, we aim to mark this milestone with a flagship project dedicated to improving maternal and child health at Pumwani Maternity Hospital in Nairobi as a national pilot,’’ Rotary District 9212 Governor Joe Kamau said.

During her visit, Stephanie will have a meeting with senior government of Kenya officials on Monday January 13, 2025 and later join a medical camp at Pumwani Maternity Hospital on the same day.

The medical camp is the outcome of a 24-month partnership between Rotary District 9212 and Rotary Action Group for Family Health & AIDS Prevention Inc (RFHA).

This is to enable Rotary clubs to roll out medical camps at seven different locations across Kenya.

In addition to Pumwani Maternity Hospital, the medical camps, known as Rotary Family Health Days (RFHD), will be held at Kogelo Health Centre (Siaya), Gichuru Dispensary (Kiambu), Transmara West Subcounty Hospital (Narok), Embu Level 5 Hospital (Embu), Mukurweini Hospital (Nyeri) and Makongeni Health Centre (Thika).

President Stephanie is expected to take time on Tuesday January 13, 2025 to enjoy Kenya’s world-class tourism attraction sites including taking a game drive at the Nairobi National Park. She is also set to visit the Giraffe Centre and sample Kenyan cuisine at The Carnivore.

Later on the same day, Stephanie is expected to attend a Rotary Foundation dinner to celebrate the achievements of the Foundation in Kenya.

The grants of $6 million (Sh774m) are provided by The Rotary Foundation, a non-profit corporation that supports the efforts of Rotary International to undertake humanitarian, educational, and cultural exchange programs.

It is supported solely by voluntary contributions. Rotary District 9212 has several key projects in Kenya which include: Information, Communication and Technology, ICT (Digital Literacy) – projects in Kangemi (Tenderfoot) and in Tatu City, Maternal and Child Health – project dubbed Baby Mwanzo in Mukuru slums and renovations and upgrades at Pumwani Maternity Hospital estimated to cost about Sh100 million.

There is also a blood donation campaign, whcih will require approximately Sh10 million, and another Sh150 million for construction and equipping of two blood banks.

Other key projects are a partnership with the State Department for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) to plant one million trees in six months and a national initiative known as Rotary Sunshine Rally, catering for differently abled people since 1980.

In Kenya, there are about 300 community projects that involve solutions in seven focus areas: disease prevention and treatment, maternal and child health, basic education and literacy, water and sanitation, peace and conflict resolution, economic and community development and environmental conservation.