Uasin Gishu County is recording tangible improvements in healthcare delivery following a bold rollout of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital health infrastructure aimed at strengthening diagnostics and emergency response systems.
At the heart of this transformation is a KSh 52 million investment in four AI-powered digital X-ray machines, deployed in collaboration with the National TB Programme. Each unit, valued at KSh 13 million, is already reshaping how chest diseases, particularly tuberculosis (TB) are detected and managed across the county.
Since their introduction in December 2025, the machines have facilitated more than 2,600 X-ray screenings, marking a significant leap in diagnostic capacity. Their battery-powered mobility has enabled healthcare teams to extend services beyond hospital walls into informal settlements and busy transport corridors, bringing critical screening services closer to vulnerable populations.
Health officials project that the use of AI-assisted imaging will reduce reliance on GeneXpert testing by up to 70 percent across five centres, streamlining diagnosis and accelerating treatment timelines. The technology is also enhancing early detection of TB, lung cancer, and other respiratory illness conditions that often go unnoticed until advanced stages.
The intervention comes at a crucial time for Kenya, which recorded over 90,000 cases of drug-sensitive TB in 2025 and remains among the world’s 33 high TB burden countries. In Uasin Gishu alone, more than 1,700 TB cases were reported, with nearly 40 percent estimated to go undiagnosed due to mild or hidden symptoms.
The AI-powered machines have been strategically stationed at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, Huruma Sub-County Hospital, Moi’s Bridge Health Centre, and Uasin Gishu County Hospital, ensuring broad geographic coverage.
Beyond diagnostics, the county has also made strides in emergency healthcare delivery with the establishment of a Public Health Emergency and Ambulance Dispatch Centre, supported by the Medicine Kenya Foundation. The facility integrates real-time ambulance tracking with a centralized dispatch system, enabling faster and more coordinated emergency responses.
Officials say the center is expected to significantly reduce response times, potentially saving lives in critical situations where every second counts.
The initiatives were unveiled by Deputy Governor Evans Kapkea on behalf of Governor Dr. Jonathan Bii, signaling a strategic shift toward a more responsive, technology-driven healthcare system.
“Health is the greatest wealth a society can possess,” Kapkea said, underscoring the administration’s commitment to strengthening healthcare services.
The digital transformation aligns with the second pillar of Governor Bii’s development agenda, as highlighted by County Executive Committee Members Janet Kurgat (Health) and Robert Kemei (ICT and Sports), who emphasized the role of innovation in improving service delivery.
Looking ahead, the county is expanding its healthcare infrastructure with the construction of a modern Diagnostic Centre at Uasin Gishu District Hospital. Once complete, the facility is expected to further enhance access to specialized diagnostic services and sustain the momentum of ongoing reforms.
Present was the Chief of Staff Dr. Pius Chumba and Clinical Services Chief Officer Ambrose Tarus.
