President William Ruto in Bomet county to lay the foundation stone for the Chebunyo Mother and Child Hospital on Saturday, September 12, 2026/PCSPresident William Ruto has said the Chebunyo Amsons Mother and Baby Hospital in Bomet will help address gaps in maternal and newborn healthcare by bringing specialised services closer to residents.
Ruto spoke on Saturday, September 12, during the laying of the foundation stone for the facility in Chepalungu, Bomet County.
The President said the planned Level 4 hospital will have a capacity of between 200 and 250 beds and will provide a range of maternal and neonatal services.
“No woman should lose her life while giving life. And no child should be denied a fair start because essential care is unavailable. No family should have to travel long distances, exhaust savings, or endure preventable loss in search of maternal and newborn healthcare,” Ruto said.
According to the President, the facility will offer antenatal services, labour and delivery care, maternity and obstetric intensive care, postnatal services, newborn care and neonatal intensive care.
It will also have dedicated maternity and neonatal theatres, an isolation unit, a mothers’ hostel, a pharmacy and health-information services.
Ruto said the hospital was being established against a backdrop of gaps in maternal healthcare across the country.
President William Ruto before he laid the foundation stone for the Chebunyo Mother and Child Hospital in Bomet County on September 12, 2026/PCS
“Kenya has made important progress in improving maternal and child health. Yet the national burden remains unacceptably high. Approximately 16 women die every day from pregnancy-related causes. Behind each statistic is a mother, a family and a future diminished by a death that, in many cases, could have been prevented,” he said.
He said fewer than half of Kenya’s health facilities provide maternity services, while about one-third offer emergency obstetric care.
Ruto also said Kenya had approximately 12 hospital beds for every 10,000 people, compared with the World Health Organisation’s recommendation of at least 25 beds.
He said Level 4 hospitals had 6,231 beds against an estimated requirement of 18,900.
The President said Bomet had recorded better maternal and child health indicators than the national averages, citing neonatal mortality of 17 deaths per 1,000 live births compared with 21 nationally.
Infant mortality in the county stands at 26 deaths per 1,000 live births, compared with 32 nationally, while under-five mortality stands at 28 compared with a national average of 41, according to Ruto.
He said more than 75 per cent of births in Bomet were attended by skilled health workers, compared with a national average of 69 per cent. More than 79 per cent of children are fully immunised, while exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months stands at 82.5 per cent.
President William Ruto before he laid the foundation stone for the Chebunyo Mother and Child Hospital in Bomet County on September 12, 2026/PCS
Ruto said the new hospital would form part of the Mama na Mtoto Kwanza Initiative, through which the Amsons Group is investing $35 million (Sh4.5 billion) as a grant to establish 10 mother and baby hospitals across Kenya.
He said the Chebunyo facility was expected to be completed within six months and commissioned by March 2027.
“This timetable must be honoured, the required standards must be upheld and every shilling must deliver value to the people,” Ruto said.
The President said the Government was also investing in healthcare personnel, medicines, equipment, financing and service delivery.
He said an additional Sh4 billion had been allocated through the Social Health Authority to cover pregnant women, alongside Sh1 billion for maternal and newborn commodities and Sh2.5 billion for family planning services.
Ruto said the Government was also recruiting and deploying 5,000 additional nurses and midwives nationwide.
He said more than 32.7 million Kenyans were registered under SHA, while Bomet had registered 701,800 people, representing more than 80 per cent of its target and placing the county second nationally in primary healthcare coverage.
Ruto urged the Bomet County Government to prepare for the hospital’s operationalisation by planning for personnel, equipment, medicines, maintenance and referral services.
“The National Government will continue working with the county so that this facility opens on schedule and operates at full capacity,” he said.
President William Ruto before he laid the foundation stone for the Chebunyo Mother and Child Hospital in Bomet County on September 12, 2026/PCS
