By Fredrick Kioko
Residents of Makueni County are set to benefit from faster, more accessible healthcare after Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr. flagged off 365 bicycles for Community Health Promoters (CHPs) and commissioned free ambulance services aimed at strengthening healthcare delivery, particularly in remote areas.
The bicycles, distributed to Community Health Promoters serving Thange, Ivingoni-Nzambani, Kikumbulyu South and Kikumbulyu North wards, are expected to significantly improve the mobility of frontline health workers, enabling them to reach more households, respond to emergencies faster and provide timely preventive and primary healthcare services.
Speaking during the launch at the Mother and Child Hospital on Monday, Governor Mutula said Community Health Promoters play a critical role as the first point of contact between the health system and residents, often walking long distances across difficult terrain to visit families.
He noted that providing the bicycles would ease their movement, increase the number of households they can serve each day and strengthen disease prevention, maternal and child health services, immunisation follow-ups and community health education.
"The bicycles will empower our Community Health Promoters to reach more people efficiently and ensure that no resident is left behind in accessing essential healthcare services," the governor said.
Governor Mutula revealed that the initiative was a direct response to priorities identified by residents during last financial year's public participation forums in the four beneficiary wards. He encouraged communities in other wards to prioritise similar investments during future budget planning processes to further strengthen grassroots healthcare.
In another major boost to the county's health sector, the governor commissioned free ambulance services for patients referred by clinicians as well as those requiring emergency medical attention.
The programme has already begun making an impact, with 265 patients benefiting from the free ambulance service since its rollout on July 1 this year, easing the financial burden on families while ensuring critically ill patients receive timely referrals to appropriate health facilities.
To further improve emergency medical response, Makueni County has partnered with the Emergency Medical Kenya Foundation under the Ambulensi programme to install an Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) system in its ambulance fleet.
The technology will allow emergency dispatch teams to accurately identify the location of callers requesting assistance, reducing response times, improving coordination during emergencies and lowering operational costs.
The county currently operates ten ambulances, while two more are undergoing repairs. It has also received an additional ambulance from St. John Ambulance and plans to acquire two more during the current financial year, a move expected to further expand emergency medical coverage across the county.
The launch was attended by Kikumbulyu North MCA Jackson Mbalu, Kikumbulyu South MCA Jades Kalunda, Mavindini MCA Jonathan Kimongo, nominated MCAs Elizabeth Muthike and Sarah Mbilo, and County Assembly Clerk Ken Mutuku.
The combined investment in Community Health Promoters and emergency medical services is expected to improve access to healthcare, particularly for vulnerable and hard-to-reach communities, while reinforcing Makueni County's commitment to delivering affordable, timely and quality healthcare to its residents.
