President William Ruto has directed the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) to construct a hospital in Sogoo, Narok County.
Speaking during his working day tour of Narok County in Narok South, the Head of State revealed that the KDF will undertake the project, taking over from the county government of Narok.
He further announced that the project will take eight months to complete, helping the locals access better health services.
''I know that you have a hospital here, but your Governor Ole Ntutu has told me that he is building another hospital here for Ksh2 million and another one in Kilgoris for Ksh2 million,'' Ruto stated.
"I have told him to focus on the Kilgoris one so that I can handle this one in Sogoo. I have brought the military to come help me with that job. I have agreed with them that by the time we are going for Christmas, I should be able to come and launch the project," he added.
Further, the government will elevate the hospital to a Level 4 facility to help address the long distances covered by the residents to seek medical services at Narok County Referral Hospital.
''It will be a Level 4 hospital with all the equipment needed for treatment. You will not have to go all the way to Narok to seek medical attention," he added.
Residents of the extensive Narok County often rely on the Narok County Referral Hospital for advanced medical treatment, as it is the only major facility in the region.
Alternatively, the residents travel to the neighbouring Bomet and Kisii counties to access medical services.
Under Kenyan law, the KDF are authorised to engage in non-military activities, including the construction of hospitals, as part of their constitutional mandate to assist in national development.
Article 241(3)(b) of the Constitution of Kenya empowers the KDF to "assist and cooperate with other authorities in situations of emergency or disaster and report to the National Assembly whenever deployed in such circumstances."
KDF has undertaken several hospital construction projects across the country. For instance, the Ministry of Defence reported that the KDF refurbished and equipped the Keroka Level IV Hospital in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, aiming to upgrade the facility to a Level IV hospital by constructing an ultramodern three-story building.
Additionally, the KDF has been involved in constructing and renovating other medical facilities, such as the Kiunga Health Centre, as part of its civil-military cooperation initiatives.
