Ruto raises alarm over rise in cancer deaths

What you need to know:

  • The governor said the diseases are to blame for many of the orphans the county is grappling with.
  • Mr Ruto said the county government is seeking Sh6 billion to help it set up the cancer treatment centre.

Cancer and high blood pressure have been cited as the leading cause of deaths in Bomet County.

Governor Isaac Ruto on Monday said in every three deaths reported in the devolved unit, two of them are due to the diseases.

He said his administration plans to set up a cancer treatment centre to help curb the disease in the county.

The governor said the diseases are to blame for many of the orphans the county is grappling with.

“Personally, I lost my daughter to blood cancer. This is a wake-up call that we must be ready to confront these emerging challenges with the urgency they deserve,” Mr Ruto said.

The governor made the remarks when he met a five-member team on a 1,000-kilometre walk to raise Sh50 million for the treatment of 50 cervical cancer patients in Migori County.

The team has since been flagged off from Bomet. It is heading to Narok, then Nairobi and will finish the walk in Mombasa.

Nation Media Group is one of the sponsors of the walk.

The group has so far covered more than 150 kilometres since it started the walk in Migori on Tuesday last week.

Mr Ruto said the county government is seeking Sh6 billion to help it set up the cancer treatment centre.

He said the initial projection of Sh30 million was below what may be needed to finish the project.

“At first I thought the facility requires Sh30 million, but after engaging in some brainstorming sessions and consulting experts, we found that we need at least Sh6 billion for the project,” he said.

He said the county government is partnering with Moi University, Aga Khan Hospital, the Texas Cancer Centre and other development partners with a view to establishing the facility.

The governor said most of the funds for the centre will be sourced locally.