NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 31 — First Lady Rachel Ruto on Thursday presided over the handover of cochlear implant devices worth Sh120 million, a donation that promises to restore hearing—and hope—to dozens of Kenyan children living with hearing impairments.
The devices, presented to the Ministry of Health under the First Lady’s Voice of Children Program, were a donation from Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Asma of Morocco, ahead of the Princess’s official visit to Kenya next week.
“This gift is far greater than its monetary value,” said Mrs. Ruto during the event at State House, Nairobi. “It is a gift of sound, connection, and renewed possibility. For the children and families who will benefit, it means hearing laughter, music, and the voices of loved ones — some for the very first time.”
The First Lady urged the Ministry of Health to ensure that the implants reach children most in need across the country, emphasizing that successful outcomes require not only the devices themselves but also skilled surgical procedures and follow-up therapy.
“The Ministry’s support in coordinating both the surgical procedures and the essential post-surgery therapy will enable beneficiaries to fully embrace a new phase of life — one defined by sound, connection, and opportunity,” she added.
A specialized team from Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), led by Acting Chief Executive Officer Dr. Richard Lesiyampe, will perform the surgeries. Dr. Lesiyampe confirmed that 54 children will undergo the procedure at KNH on Monday, while 10 others will be operated on at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) in Eldoret.
“We are very grateful and we do not take this for granted,” Dr. Lesiyampe said.
Principal Secretary for Medical Services, Ouma Oluga, noted that the Social Health Authority (SHA) will fully cover the cost of the surgeries, which fall within its benefits package at a reimbursement rate of Sh358,000 per patient.
“Your Excellency, what you have done today is remove this procedure from the list of 36 services previously unavailable in the country,” Dr. Oluga said. “You have challenged us to go back and review the gazette notice.”
Principal Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, Dr. Abraham Korir Sing’oei, praised the donation as a reflection of Kenya’s growing diplomatic and humanitarian partnership with Morocco, attributing it to the First Lady’s longstanding ties with the Moroccan royal family.
“It is through your friendship, forged over several years, that Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Asma is visiting Kenya next week at your invitation,” he said.
As the ceremony concluded, the atmosphere was one of gratitude and quiet optimism — for families awaiting a future where silence will no longer define their children’s world, and for a nation reminded that compassion, when paired with partnership, has the power to transform lives beyond measure.