Lodwar – October 16, 2025 (Public Communications and Media Relations)
The County Government, through the Department of Health and Sanitation, in collaboration with the Digital Health Agency (DHA) and Amref Health Africa, has today launched 450 tablets and 450 power banks to support the digitization of healthcare services across Turkana County. This is part of the ongoing rollout of the Taifa Care digital system in Turkana.
Taifa Care is Kenya’s national healthcare program aimed at achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) for all citizens. It is implemented under the Social Health Authority (SHA), a government body responsible for managing health insurance and services. Taifa Care also serves as a digital superhighway, connected to 38 other systems, unifying the public health system and simplifying patient care and health data management.
Speaking during the launch, County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Health and Sanitation, Dr. Esekon Joseph Epem, described Taifa Care as the government’s primary vehicle for delivering quality, accessible, and affordable healthcare to all residents, regardless of their location.
“Today, we are not only launching devices; we are ushering in a new era of healthcare delivery in Turkana County. These gadgets symbolize our commitment to modernizing healthcare, enhancing efficiency, and ensuring accountability in the services that we provide,” he stated.
The CECM described the digitization as a game-changer for Turkana. “With these devices deployed across our public healthcare facilities, we are empowering our healthcare workers to streamline processes, track health trends, and respond promptly to community needs,” he said.
He added that a prior assessment had shown that Turkana needs 800 devices. “This first batch covers more than half of that. We expect more gadgets in the second batch, towards realizing complete digitization across all health facilities,” he noted.
Dr Epem also shared that the system is expected to go live within the next month. From that point on, patient care will be delivered using digital records only.
“This will transform healthcare, especially in a vast county like Turkana, where data has been a challenge. We’ll be able to check disease trends, assess community impact, and measure patient waiting times. Ultimately, we will have data to inform decision-making and monitor healthcare consumption as we join others on the digital superhighway,”
Chief Officer for Preventive and Promotive Health, Janerose Tioko, underscored the importance of data quality in driving health interventions.
“We need quality tools to process quality data and make better decisions across the board. This digitization will ensure we have access to reliable data and enable timely reporting,” she said.
Dr David Moru, Director for Health Products and Technologies (HPTs), who represented the Chief Officer for Medical Services, Dr. Gilchrist Lokel, emphasized the benefits in operational efficiency.
“This system will significantly reduce patient waiting times and help us track and monitor our commodities from the point of dispatch.”
According to Samuel Cheburet from DHA, who is leading the digitization process in Turkana, the agency is committed to ensuring a smooth and sustainable roll-out.
“We have ensured that the six main hospitals in Turkana will be connected to a Local Area Network to support connectivity. Each of these tablets has been installed with internet access capable of lasting the facilities for the next decade,” he said.
He explained that the gadgets are secured with a system-controlled interface to restrict internet use to necessary services only, excluding social media and other non-essential platforms. The devices are also fitted with a tracking system to ensure accountability and improve health outcomes.
“Through Taifa Care, we are enabling real-time data processing, significantly reducing paperwork and improving transparency. We can now track patient numbers, measure waiting times, and provide timely services,” he added.
He also noted that although the devices are assigned to facilities, they support patient portability, enabling continuity of care across different locations using the same patient records.
Cheburet, joined by other partners at the event, reaffirmed their commitment to collaboration. “We will work hand in hand with the County to ensure a smooth digitization process.”
The roll-out includes ongoing capacity building of healthcare workers from the 11 sub-counties to enhance their understanding of Taifa Care as a tool for daily service delivery and data management. The County Health Management Team (CHMT) is scheduled for training next week.
Device distribution will begin in the coming week, aligning with cascading training sessions for healthcare workers in all sub-counties. This exercise is supported by Amref Health Africa’s Danida Transcend Project.
Dr. Epem encouraged health workers to embrace the technology and its benefits. “These devices are tools to empower you in your daily work. I urge all healthcare workers to embrace this innovation, make use of the training provided, and use these devices to deliver the highest standard of care,”
He concluded with a message to the community. “To the people of Turkana, this is your victory—a promise fulfilled to bring quality healthcare closer to you. Let’s work together to sustain this momentum and ensure Taifa Care strengthens our health system and transforms lives,”
Partners present at the launch included Gabriel Ejikon (Primary Healthcare Technical Officer, Amref Health Africa), Joshua Ruto (Field Coordinator, International Rescue Committee), Abdi Jamal (Project Manager, IRC Core Group Partners), and Brian Owino (Software Developer, Imarisha Project).
Also in attendance were members of the County Health Management Team, including directors, program managers, and coordinators. Isaac Eregae, Director for ICT and E-Government, and his team were present and will lead the digitization process moving forward.
