Safaricom : M-PESA Foundation Provides Infrastructure Boost to Gatunguru Health Centre

The project will improve access to maternal healthcare services in Murang'a County and provide outpatient services to over 80 patients daily.

Murang'a, 14^th January 2022 … M-PESA Foundation has funded the completion and equipping of the Gatunguru Health Centre at a cost of over KES 9.2 million. The health facility will now increase its capacity to serve as a Level 3 Health Centre and provide services to over 80 patients daily.

The hospital has been equipped with delivery and post-natal rooms with a capacity of eight beds, as well as a consultation room in a bid to improve maternal health services. Other equipment includes wheelchairs, delivery coaches and baby weighing scales as well as laboratory tools.

"One of our focus areas as M-PESA Foundation is to make a lasting contribution to society by focusing on improving the maternal health outcomes of mothers and newborns. Our contribution today reflects this commitment to enable access to maternal health and the upgrading of overall health services," said Michael Joseph, Chairman, M-PESA Foundation.

The construction of a septic tank will improve sanitation standards at the health centre, while the installation of an ablution block, and an underground water tank will enable the hospital to meet its water needs for effective service delivery.

M-PESA Foundation has also invested KES150 million in the Uzazi Salama Project targeting over 90,000 women and children under 5 years in Homabay County following a similar project in Samburu County, which has seen over 200,000 beneficiaries receive maternal health services.

The foundation has also partnered with Gertrude's Hospital Foundation for the Daktari Smart telemedicine program targeting over 32,000 children in Samburu, Homabay, Baringo and Lamu Counties.

About M-PESA Foundation

Since its inception in 2010, the M-PESA Foundation partnered with Kenyans on large scale and long term highly impactful social projects. It aims to promote Health, Education and Environmental Conservation for the social and economic benefit of the people of Kenya and has reached over 2 million people over the years.

Under health, the Foundation has invested in Uzazi Salama, a Maternal and Newborn health project and Daktari Smart, a telemedicine programme that links and provides treatment to children in six hard-to-reach counties in Kenya. In education it supports bright children from economically disadvantaged backgrounds through the M-PESA Foundation Academy.

Under environmental conservation, they have invested in a fencing project of the Mau Eburu forest to curb recurring human-wildlife conflict and partnered with Reteti Elephant Sanctuary to help protect the orphaned and abandoned elephant calves in the Sanctuary.