Residents of Marigat in Baringo County will now have improved access to specialist healthcare services, thanks to the M-PESA Foundation's Daktari Smart program.

The foundation has handed over a telemedicine facility worth Sh4 million at the Marigat Catholic Mission Health Centre.

With this facility, healthcare workers at the center can place electronic medical devices on the patient, such as a stethoscope or vital signs monitor, and a specialist at Gertrude’s Children’s Hospital in Muthaiga, Nairobi, can interpret the data and provide specialist care in real time.

Chairman of the M-PESA Foundation Nicholas Ng’ang’a stated that the foundation is pleased to collaborate with the County Government of Baringo and Gertrude’s Hospital Foundation to improve healthcare access in the county.

He also mentioned that the new telemedicine facility will complement the existing one at Chemolingot Sub-County Hospital, which has provided specialized care to over 400 patients since its inception in December 2021.

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“We are glad to partner with the County Government of Baringo and Gertrude’s Hospital Foundation, to enhance access to health in the county,” Ng’ang’a said.

“This facility adds to the one at Chemolingot Sub-County Hospital, which has already enabled more than 400 people to access highly specialized care since its launch in December 2021.”

Meanwhile, children with disabilities at Marigat Special School will henceforth have access to an appropriate learning environment, as the M-PESA Foundation has delivered a newly constructed and furnished classroom worth Sh1.3 million.


Safaricom PLC Rift Region Territory Business Lead Felix Mburu (right) with a teacher and student at Marigat Special School. PHOTO/COURTESY

This project forms part of the Foundation's Wezesha Elimu Programme, which is implemented jointly with Christian Blind Mission (CBM) Kenya and CURE Kenya Hospital.

The program's aim is to facilitate access to education for children with disabilities by providing corrective surgeries and infrastructural support to schools.

In 2021, the M-PESA Foundation, in partnership with the Gertrude's Hospital Foundation, launched Daktari Smart.

This three-year initiative is geared towards exploiting telemedicine to offer specialist care to over 32,000 children in Baringo, Homa Bay, Lamu, and Samburu counties.