Kenya is in talks with Türkiye(,Turkey) about new hospitals and centres for women and children, adding to a health partnership between the two countries that has been growing for years.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, Kenya's minister in charge of health, shared the update in a post on the social media platform X after meeting Türkiye's outgoing ambassador to Kenya, Subutay Yüksel, who called on him to say goodbye at the end of his tenure.
The news outlet The Eastleigh Voice covered the announcement on 3 October 2026.
Duale said the talks included the proposed Uwezo Hospitals and the Kenya-Türkiye Centres for Children's Ability and Women's Health.
Uwezo is the Swahili word for ability.
He described the discussions as a chance for practical cooperation, meaning work that could turn into real facilities and services.
His post did not say that anything has been approved, funded or scheduled. It gave no costs, locations or dates.
According to The Eastleigh Voice, the proposed facilities would be in six counties: Nairobi, the capital, along with Nandi, Taita Taveta, Isiolo, Homa Bay and Uasin Gishu.
The paper said they are meant to bring specialised care for women and children to places where such services are limited.
The paper also said that under the proposal Türkiye would support the development of the facilities, while Kenya would provide the land and manage the hospitals once they open.
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The talks sit under a Memorandum of Understanding on health cooperation, a written agreement between the two governments on how they will work together.
Duale said its conclusion gives both countries a framework for steady collaboration.
"Health remains a key pillar of this partnership," he wrote.
He added that cooperation has also deepened in education, agriculture, trade and investment, with capacity-building, meaning training and skills support, going through Türkiye's aid agency, the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency, known as TİKA.
The Eastleigh Voice said this support has already included medical equipment, infrastructure and training for health workers.
Duale tied the partnership to Kenya's push the goal of making health care available to everyone without hardship.
He said Kenya is working to strengthen primary healthcare, the first level of care that patients meet at local clinics, along with digital health, local manufacturing, research and innovation, health financing and health systems built to withstand climate pressures.
He added that Kenya hopes to draw on Türkiye's experience and expand cooperation on technology and knowledge sharing, specialist training and pandemic preparedness.
For now, the proposed hospitals and centres are an idea under discussion, not a project with a budget or a start date.
The ambassador's term has ended, and Duale said Kenya looks forward to welcoming his successor and building on what was agreed.
Whether women and children in the six counties named by The Eastleigh Voice see new services will depend on whether these talks become signed, funded and scheduled projects.
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