NAIROBI, Kenya, Sept 11 – Mwai Kibaki Clinical Annex in Nyeri is creating employment opportunities for local residents while providing a source of livelihood for skilled and semi-skilled workers from the area.
According to Daniel Kariuki, a local resident working on the project, the construction has opened opportunities for people with different technical skills, with workers being engaged based on their areas of training and expertise.
“I am a resident and was born here. I am working on this project, where I handle parameters, measurements and other technical duties,” Kariuki said.
He noted that the project has employed people trained in various construction trades, including plumbing, steel fixing, masonry and carpentry.
“There are many people who have trained and come here as plumbers, steel fixers, masons and carpenters. We give them work according to what they have studied,” he said.
The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), under the Ministry of Defence, is overseeing the project to ensure that construction meets the required structural and quality standards.
During President William Ruto’s presidency, the Ministry has been empowered and has increasingly taken on critical public infrastructure assignments, bringing precision to logistics across state-funded projects nationwide.
The resident engineer Paul Njihia said the project employs between 150 and 200 workers on a typical day, comprising both skilled and unskilled labourers, with priority given to local residents.
“On a very good day, we will have about 100 casual workers, while the skilled workers, including masons, carpenters and steel fixers, are about 80,” he said.
For local workers, the project has provided a more reliable source of income at a time when casual employment opportunities can be difficult to find.Elizabeth Waigumo, a resident of Kiangada, said she has worked at the project for the past three months and described the employment opportunity as a major boost to her household.
“This project has helped me very much. When we receive our salaries, we go home and take care of our needs, including paying school fees for our children, buying food and meeting other household expenses,” she said.
Waigumo said she previously relied on casual jobs, which were not always readily available, but her employment at the clinical annex had provided greater financial stability.
The residents say the facility will have a wider regional impact once completed, serving patients from Nyeri and neighbouring counties.
Waigumo observed that the hospital is expected to benefit residents from several counties in the Central region, including Laikipia and Nyeri, as well as patients seeking specialised healthcare services from surrounding areas.
The workers also expressed appreciation for the Government’s investment in the project, saying the construction has created opportunities for local communities while contributing to development in the region.
Kariuki thanked the government for supporting development projects in the area and also acknowledged Othaya MP Wambugu Wainaina for his role in championing development initiatives in the constituency.
