Governor Achani says no resident should be left behind in healthcare drive
MWANDA, KWALE COUNTY — For years, residents of this remote corner of coastal Kenya had to travel miles in search of basic hospital care. On Thursday, that changed.
Governor Fatuma Achani officially opened the new general ward at Mwanda Dispensary, a facility expected to serve over 6,900 people across eight villages in Mwavumbo Ward. The launch marks a major step in Kwale’s campaign to strengthen healthcare in underserved rural areas.
“Healthcare is a right, not a privilege,” Ms Achani said at the ceremony. “We are committed to bringing services closer to our people, especially those in hard-to-reach areas. No one should be left behind.”
The new ward is expected to ease pressure on larger hospitals and shorten the distance patients must travel for inpatient care. For many families, that shift could mean the difference between timely treatment and medical catastrophe.
Local resident Amina Nyae called it a “blessing.” Speaking outside the dispensary, she said, “For years we’ve struggled to reach hospitals. Now help is finally at our doorstep. We ask the county to send more nurses and finish the staff housing so doctors can stay close.”
Alongside the ward’s commissioning, Ms Achani handed over a new staff housing project an effort to improve response times and retain skilled health workers in the area.
Since devolution began in 2013, Kwale has seen the number of health facilities rise from just 35 to 178. These include dispensaries, maternity centres, and larger hospitals. The governor’s administration has hired more than 1,800 healthcare workers, including specialists, and trained over 1,600 community health promoters to deliver care at the grassroots.
“We are no longer just building we are upgrading what we have,” Ms Achani said. “It’s about quality, sustainability, and ensuring people get the help they need, when they need it.”
Key projects under her watch include a Sh36.2 million child health unit at Msambweni Referral Hospital and an ICU and renal unit at Kinango Hospital. The county has also waived all fees for services at Level 2 and 3 facilities including ambulance transport.
“No one in Kwale should be denied treatment because they can’t afford it,” she added.
Ms Achani’s approach has drawn praise from health advocates, who say it reflects a rare commitment to long-term solutions in a system often plagued by short-term politics.
Present at the commissioning were county health officials, local administrators, and members of the community, all witnessing what Governor Achani hopes will become a symbol of Kwale’s broader healthcare transformation.
As she told the crowd, “We are building more than walls we are building trust, dignity, and a future where everyone can live a healthy life.”
