Governor Nassir commits to improve service delivery

Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir has vowed to crackdown on poor health service delivery, misconduct, long wait times and operational inefficiencies at public health facilities across the coastal city.

The governor has announced that he will be making impromptu visits to public medical facilities in Mombasa to assess the true nature of healthcare infrastructure, the discipline of healthcare workers and patient care.

“We are committed to making quality healthcare services accessible to all residents of Mombasa,” said Nassir, who is also the Chairperson of the Council of Governors (CoG) Committee on Health.

He went on, “We remain dedicated to ensuring that every patient receives timely, compassionate, and dignified care, regardless of where they access services within the healthcare system.”

Nassir expressed his administration’s commitment to quality healthcare and patient experiences in health facilities emphasising that the ultimate goal is to enhance citizens’ health and well-being.

The governor said he will be making an unscheduled tour of public hospitals to inspect infrastructure and evaluate the Social Health Authority (SHA) rollout of the ‘BabaCare’ initiative, also known as ‘Mwezi wa Baba’, and patient care standards.

“Through the unannounced visits we hope to identify some of the challenges that continue to frustrate the smooth delivery of healthcare services in the region and tackle them appropriately,” he said.

He says SHA seeks to provide accessible, affordable, and equitable healthcare services to all Kenyans, supporting the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) agenda championed by the national government.

“We want the county leadership to experience the realities faced by ordinary citizens firsthand without learning it from the media or any other quarter,” he said.

Mombasa County Government has recently extended the monthlong free healthcare to thousands in the ‘Mwezi wa Baba’ initiative to November 30, 2026.

“As we continue with the Mwezi wa Baba into November, my priority is to make sure every patient who walks into a county health facility receives safe and quality healthcare,” he said.

The initiative has been ongoing throughout the month of October across all public health facilities under the ‘BabaCare’ initiative, also known as ‘Mwezi wa Baba’.

The BabaCare initiative is meant to ease the burden of medical bills and expand access to essential health services for residents in the coastal city.

“Our priority is to ensure every resident receives safe, timely healthcare under BabaCare, and residents can call 1599 to report any suspicious activities or corruption cases directly to my office,” he said.

He said so far 200,000 patients have benefited from the free healthcare at Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital under the Mwezi wa Baba initiative.

The devolved government has hired 430 short-term healthcare workers to handle the increased patient turnout as a result of the ongoing free medical services.

Nassir warned the newly recruited healthcare workers against maltreating patients or demanding illegal payments before providing services.

The health initiative by the coastal county is to honour the legacy of the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga by providing accessible, dignity-driven healthcare without ‘out-of-pocket costs.’

Health experts contend that globally and in Kenya, high out-of-pocket spending remains a major barrier to medical care, often pushing households into financial distress or poverty.

The services being provided under the BabaCare initiative included specialist consultations, diagnostic tests, surgeries, cancer screenings, primary healthcare, and free maternity care.

Nassir was speaking after he made an unannounced inspection visit at the Likoni sub-county hospital in what he said was to allow him to gain ‘firsthand insight’ into the situation on the ground.

“I stopped by Likoni Hospital to see firsthand what patients are experiencing during Mwezi wa Baba. The queues are too long and directed the County Public Service Board to deploy more clinical staff so patients can get the care they need,” he said.

The governor said already his unscheduled visit to Likoni hospital has unearthed a medical quackery and impersonation case, and one person was arrested as a result.

“I have asked the Directorate of Criminal Investigations to investigate thoroughly and pursue the strongest action the law allows. Anyone who attempts to endanger the health of patients should expect to be held accountable,” he said.

The governor says the BabaCare initiative is turning a vision of dignity and accessible healthcare into real impact for the people.

“Behind every number is a life touched, a family supported and hope renewed; this landmark initiative is reaching our people where it matters most – their health,” he said.

Touching on the ongoing construction works at the Likoni hospital featuring a maternity wing of a 50-bed facility with a state-of-the-art operating theatre, Nassir said this was aimed at bringing critical maternal health services closer to the people of Likoni.

The governor said once complete, expectant mothers will no longer need to cross the ferry from the mainland south to access safe and timely care at Mombasa Island, where major public and private hospitals are domiciled.

Nassir said his administration is seriously paying greater attention to improving healthcare infrastructure and services available to the people, particularly at the primary healthcare level.

He said this important investment has been made possible through the collaboration between the county government and the M-PESA Foundation.

“This initiative reaffirms our commitment to delivering healthcare and ensuring that every mother and child has access to quality and dignified healthcare,” he said.

The maternity project aligns with the national and county-level commitments to the Every Woman, Every Newborn, Everywhere (EWENE) initiative and related maternal and child health programmes, which target reducing preventable maternal and newborn deaths.

Ongoing and planned health infrastructure projects in Mombasa also include Mjambere Level 3 Hospital in Kisauni Sub-county, which is nearing completion at 85 per cent completion rate and seeks to help decongest overcrowded referral facilities on the northern mainland, and the new Port Reitz Level 4 Hospital, which is under construction and facility expansions.

Others are the Raila Odinga Kongowea Level 4 Hospital in Nyali Sub-county and the Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital (CGTRH) expansions with ongoing development of a new cancer wellness and support centre and additional hospital wards, following recent completions of a new cancer centre, children’s ICU, children’s operating theatre, and a Cardiac Cath lab.

“Construction of Mjambere Level 3 Hospital is complete, and we are in the final stages of equipping it so it can begin receiving patients,” he said.

Nassir said the devolved unit is committed to completing all ongoing public infrastructure projects on schedule, specifically before the end of his first term in office in August 2027.

By Hussein Abdullahi