The Kitui County Government has taken full ownership of the oxygen plant at Mwingi Level IV Hospital following the completion of the US Government-funded Kenya Oxygen Ecosystem Activity, marking a major step towards sustainable and locally managed oxygen supply in the county.
The plant, installed in 2023, has helped eliminate oxygen shortages at the facility while reducing the County Government’s expenditure on externally sourced oxygen supplies. Before the plant became operational, Kitui was spending about KSh1.6 million every month on oxygen supplies.
According to the County Ministry of Health and Sanitation, local production has since generated savings of nearly KSh6 million, while ensuring a more reliable supply for patients requiring emergency and critical care.
Speaking during the transition, Kitui County Chief Officer for Drugs and Medical Supplies, Aggrey Kamba, said the County was prepared to sustain the plant’s operations and ensure uninterrupted oxygen supply across its health facilities.
“We now have a stable oxygen system and will ensure continuous supply across our facilities,” Kamba said.
The Mwingi oxygen plant currently supplies oxygen to 14 hospitals across Kitui County, strengthening the county’s capacity to respond to emergencies and provide critical care without depending entirely on external suppliers.
Victor Okoth of the Global Health Supply Chain-Procurement and Supply Management (GHSC-PSM) Programme, Kenya Oxygen Activity, implemented by Chemonics International, said the handover represented a successful transition to county management.
“The system is now fully in the hands of the County to serve patients without interruption,” Okoth said.
As part of the transition, the United States Government, through Chemonics International under the GHSC-PSM Programme, handed over critical support equipment valued at KSh4.1 million.
The equipment includes service kits for oxygen compressors, generator spare parts, voltage regulators, uninterruptible power supply (UPS) units and safety gear. The County said the spare parts are sufficient to support the plant’s operations for the next two years.
The Ministry has also secured maintenance contracts with suppliers covering the same period, with plans to renew the contracts to safeguard the plant’s long-term operations.
The transition comes as Kitui continues to invest in health infrastructure and systems under Governor Dr Julius Malombe’s Kitui Promise, with the County Government emphasising sustainable healthcare solutions that can be managed and maintained locally.
For patients and health workers across the county, the continued operation of the Mwingi plant means greater reliability in the availability of oxygen—a critical resource in emergency and life-saving care.
