President William Ruto has directed the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) to oversee the construction of more than 75 health facilities across the country to fast-track their completion.
Defence Principal Secretary Patrick Mariru made the announcement in Narok County during the commissioning of the Sogoo Level 4 Hospital, revealing that the facility will be fully completed within 11 months under KDF supervision.
The decision to involve the military came after President Ruto’s visit to Sogoo in May, where he was reportedly displeased by the stalled and neglected state of the hospital project.
He immediately instructed the KDF to take charge and ensure the upgrade of the facility.
PS Mariru emphasized that while the army will oversee the work, local residents will be employed for all unskilled labor.
“The army will supervise the contractor simple as that. All manual labor will be sourced from the youth of Sogoo.
Two KDF officers will be stationed here, and they’ll report progress to me daily,” he said.
He clarified that KDF’s involvement is not a replacement of existing government agencies but a collaborative effort involving ministries such as Health and Sports to accelerate delivery of key infrastructure.
Narok Governor Patrick Ntutu welcomed the move, noting that Sogoo residents have long been forced to travel to neighboring Bomet County for medical care.
He said Sogoo is one of four Level 4 hospitals in the county and that President Ruto personally committed to ensuring its completion through the military.
Governor Ntutu also announced other key local developments, including the issuance of title deeds to settlers on the 5,600-acre Cheluget farm and the planned resettlement of Maasai Mau forest evictees.
Additionally, he pledged to rehabilitate over 100 kilometers of roads in the area to improve access, especially during the rainy season.
PS Mariru further disclosed that similar KDF-supervised projects are underway in several other regions, including Siaya, Kapsabet, Dagoretti, Meru, Ol Kalou, and Githunguri.
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