The government is constructing an eight-bed Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the Malindi Sub-County hospital to serve Kilifi, Tana River, and Lamu Counties in phase two of the Malindi Integrated Social and Health Development Programme (MISHDP-II).
Cabinet Secretary (CS) for EAC and Regional Development Peninah Malonza said the ICU which is expected to cost Sh50m will lessen the suffering of patients from far-flung counties like Tana River and Lamu counties.
“I am interested in this particular project because during the Covid-19 pandemic when we had quite many emergencies and critical cases, we didn’t have an ICU in Kilifi County. People were being referred all the way from Tana River, Lamu, and Kilifi to Mombasa,” said Malonza.
The CS made the remarks during an extensive tour of CDA projects in Mombasa and Kilifi counties.
The ICU is among other Phase II of infrastructural projects, the CS said, will cost Sh950 million and aims to improve the social and economic development of Malindi and Magarini Sub-Counties in Kilifi in line with the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).
Phase two of the project is funded by a concessional loan from the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) and is implemented by the Coast Development Authority (CDA).
Through the project, the 11.5km Mjanaheri-Ngomeni road will be tarmacked, and a bypass footbridge constructed at Burangi.
Students from Ngomeni Secondary, Ngomeni Primary, Burangi Primary, Midodoni Primary and Rasi Primary schools will benefit from modern education facilities that will also see 60 best-performing students at Ngomeni Secondary School awarded bursaries.
“It is because of that and the mandate that CDA has of initiating projects that are going to cover quite many counties and cater to a larger population. They have initiated this project that has been funded by the government of Kenya through a concession loan from the Italian government,” she added.
Photo by Haniel Mengistu.
The CS inspected a dormitory project which is at 60 percent completion, four classrooms, and a multi-purpose hall at Ngomeni Secondary School.
She stated that the government is committed to ensuring learners have a conducive learning environment in schools to enable the attainment of 100 percent transition to secondary school.
“This project is not to develop Ngomeni Secondary School alone; there are more than five schools that will benefit from this project,” said CS Malonza.
During the tour Malonza issued Sh300,000 bursaries to 21 students of Ngomeni Secondary Schools, she urged learners to work hard in their studies by posting good performance.
PS for Regional Development and ASALs Kello Harsama noted that the government through the CDA is addressing problems associated with many years of marginalization and underdevelopment in Kilifi County.
“We have visited schools, communities and we have seen a lot of developmental gaps which we are trying to address through CDA,” he said.
CDA Managing Director (MD) Dr Mohamed Keinan said all the project phases are determined by the needs of the communities.
By Sadik Hassan
