Construction has begun on the first of 10 specialised mother-and-child hospitals that Amsons Group is funding across Kenya through a Sh4.5 billion grant.
The programme is aimed at expanding access to maternal and newborn healthcare.
The first facility is being built at Chebunyo in Bomet County and will be a 250-bed Level 4 hospital equipped with maternity suites, operating theatres and neonatal intensive-care services.
The facility will also provide infrastructure for antenatal, delivery and postnatal care, bringing specialised maternal services closer to communities that often have to travel long distances to access emergency obstetric care.
President William Ruto said the financing arrangement would not create a repayment obligation for the Kenyan government, describing the funding as a grant from the Tanzanian-founded business group.
“This facility is a grant from Amsons. It’s not a loan, and that’s the value of friendship,” Ruto said.
Under the arrangement, Amsons will construct and fully equip all 10 hospitals before handing them over to Kenyan public authorities for operation.
The company estimates that the programme will serve up to 100,000 mothers every year once the facilities are operational.
Amsons Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Edha Nahdi said the start of construction at Chebunyo marked the fulfilment of a commitment made when the company entered into a partnership with the Kenyan government.
“When we signed our partnership at State House, we made a solemn vow that our commitment would not remain on paper or inside boardrooms, but would reach the ground where healthcare needs are most urgent,” Nahdi said.
He said the hospitals were intended to address gaps in access to emergency obstetric and neonatal services, particularly for women living far from major urban centres.
“This hospital is being built for you, for your daughters, your wives, and your children,” Nahdi told residents.
After the Bomet facility, similar hospitals are planned for Nairobi, Kwale, Mombasa, Garissa, Kisumu, Embu, Nakuru, Uasin Gishu and West Pokot.
The project is expected to reduce the distances women travel when seeking maternity services while improving access to specialised newborn care during the critical hours immediately after delivery.
Ruto said the need for additional maternal healthcare facilities remained urgent, noting that about 16 women die every day in Kenya from pregnancy-related causes.
However, the construction of the facilities will be only one part of the programme.
Once handed over, Kenyan authorities will assume responsibility for staffing the hospitals with doctors, nurses and midwives, as well as providing medicines, maintenance and other operational resources.
The availability of sufficient personnel and funding will therefore determine whether the new infrastructure translates into improved maternal and newborn health outcomes.
The project also marks an expansion of Amsons Group's presence in Kenya beyond its conventional commercial investments.
Nahdi said the company's regional expansion was guided by the principle of “shared prosperity”, arguing that commercial growth should be accompanied by investments that improve communities.
“We believe that industrial growth and commercial operations across East Africa must go hand-in-hand with human dignity and community empowerment,” he said.
Ruto used the project to reaffirm Kenya's support for regional investment, saying the country remained open to legitimate investors from across Africa.
He said Kenya would continue supporting regional integration through the East African Community, COMESA and the African Continental Free Trade Area while allowing investors and workers from participating markets to operate within Kenyan law.
Ruto also said foreign direct investment into Kenya had increased from about $1.6 billion to $3.2 billion over the past three years, citing Amsons among the investors contributing to increased capital inflows.
