By Reporter
The Rotary Club of Milimani, Nairobi, in a historic partnership with the Rotary e-Club of Silicon Valley, California, and the Global Tele-health Network (GTN), has officially launched a revolutionary tele-health project aimed at transforming healthcare access for underserved communities.
The high-end software system, which went live on Friday, 1 August 2025, promises to bridge the critical gap in specialist medical services, bringing expert care to remote corners of Kenya and beyond.
The initiative, a culmination of a five-year journey, was funded by a substantial Rotary Foundation global grant of $98,000. It is anchored at the Matibabu Foundation in Ukwala, Siaya County, which serves as a central hub. From this base, the project connects remote clinics to a global network of medical specialists, ensuring that patients in areas with limited access to doctors can receive expert consultations.
For its pilot phase, the project has connected two health centres in Narok County, within the Maasai Mara National Park: Talek and Sekenani health centres. Patients visiting these remote clinics can now be attended to by a local clinician who, through a robust tele-health platform, can facilitate video or text-based consultations with specialists across Kenya and worldwide. The system, which operates 24/7, allows doctors to volunteer their time and access patient information, including test results, for informed diagnoses and treatment plans.
The successful launch was a moment of immense relief and celebration for the Rotary Club of Milimani. The project, which faced a prolonged and at times anxious development period, was a testament to the club’s resilience. Led by the current president, Otieno Paul Peter, the initiative was championed by Rotarian Dan Ogola, founder of the Matibabu Foundation, whose extensive network was instrumental in bringing the project to fruition.
Dr Jack Higgins, President of GTN and a member of the Rotary e-Club of Silicon Valley, was present to witness the launch, underscoring the international collaboration behind the project. Dr Belinda, the Ukwala Sub-County Medical Superintendent, hailed the initiative as a significant stride towards achieving the government’s and the World Health Organization’s (WHO) goals of universal health coverage. Other notable attendees included officials from the Ministry of Health and the county government, all of whom expressed high hopes for the project’s impact.
Moving forward, the focus will be on monitoring the project’s success by tracking patient numbers, registering more clinicians and specialists, and reporting its progress to the Rotary Foundation. The ultimate goal is to expand the programme to include more health centres nationwide. The community, leaders, and stakeholders have unanimously praised the project as a “game-changer” that will save lives, reduce medical costs, and prevent disease a core tenet of the Rotary agenda.
