Restoring the Kagaa Village Health Centre

Honoring a legacy of care. Expanding a vision of hope.

The Kagaa Village Health Centre is a primary healthcare facility serving the entire community, including women, men, children, and elders across Kagaa and neighboring villages. It provides essential outpatient, maternal, and child health services and functions as the first point of care for a growing rural population.

The Centre’s origins are rooted in the compassion and determination of Kellen Wangui, the late mother of Dr. Peninah Njeri Kaniu and a respected community midwife. Long before a formal clinic existed, Kellen supported women through pregnancy and childbirth using the limited resources available. In the absence of a medical facility, she converted her family’s small food storage unit into a space where women could labor and give birth with dignity and care.

As the need for structured healthcare grew, Kellen petitioned the Kenyan government to establish a formal health facility for Kagaa. Her advocacy was successful, and the Village Health Centre was constructed to serve maternal care needs alongside general community health services.

The medical centre has not been renovated or modernized since its original construction over 50 years ago. Since that time, the population it serves has increased significantly, while the facility’s infrastructure, equipment, and capacity have remained largely unchanged.

Today, the Centre serves an estimated 2,000 patients per month but faces serious infrastructure and capacity constraints. Leadership at the Kagaa Health Centre has identified the need for full renovation and expansion, including structural repairs, improved sanitation, increased maternity capacity, essential emergency equipment, and secure facilities. The current maternity ward has limited delivery and recovery beds, and the nearest referral hospital is approximately 30 kilometers away, with transport times of up to 90 minutes final assessment from The Chair….

African Youth Health Education Magnet Solutions (AYHEM) is continuing and expanding Kellen Wangui’s vision by restoring and equipping the Kagaa Village Health Centre to meet current standards of safety, functionality, and care.

Planned restoration efforts include:

• Renovation and expansion of the maternity ward to meet present-day demand

• Structural repairs to roofing, sanitation facilities, and clinical spaces

• Installation of essential medical, diagnostic, and emergency equipment

• Improved lighting, power backup, and infection control infrastructure

• Training and support for healthcare workers and community-based providers

This work is being carried out in collaboration with Her Holistic Womb to strengthen maternal and postpartum support through education, caregiver training, and culturally grounded wellness practices that complement clinical services.

Together, we are restoring more than a building. We are renewing a community health centre that has served for over half a century — ensuring it can continue to provide safe, dignified, and accessible care for all who depend on it.