The Nairobi County Government says it is investing heavily in healthcare, including expanded cancer screening, digitised health facilities, and the establishment of a new cancer treatment centre expected to begin operations in 2026.

Suzanne Silantoi, County Executive Committee Member in charge of Health, Wellness and Nutrition, said the county is strengthening cancer prevention, detection, and treatment across its health system.

Speaking on the second day of the 2026 Roche Africa Press Day panel discussion at Mbagathi County Hospital in Nairobi, she said the county currently operates 124 health facilities supported by thousands of health workers.

“As a county, we have about 124 health facilities spread across the city. We have 4,500 health workers and about 7,800 extension workers. Out of the county government budget of about 45 billion shillings, 11 billion goes to healthcare,” she said.

Suzanne Silantoi, County Executive Committee Member, Health Wellness and Nutrition, Nairobi, Kenya

Silantoi explained that cancer screening has now been integrated into routine services in all public health facilities across different levels of care.

According to her, women who visit health facilities for services such as maternity, antenatal care, and reproductive health are screened for cancer during their visits.

“Every woman who goes to the facility for services such as maternity or reproductive health is screened for cancer across our facilities from level one to level five,” she said.

The county has also invested in diagnostic equipment, including mammograms, CT scans, and X-ray machines, in partnership with the national government.

Silantoi said Nairobi is also digitising its healthcare system, with 99 out of 124 facilities already operating on digital platforms, and plans are underway to complete the process by the end of the financial year.

The digital systems are expected to link with the Empower platform so that cancer patients can be tracked and connected to care more efficiently.

The Empower initiative is a multi-stakeholder programme developed through collaboration among Roche, the National Cancer Institute of Kenya, county governments, and health partners to improve early detection and access to care for breast and cervical cancer.

“We want to plug into the system that already exists so that we are able to track each of our patients and make sure they are linked to care,” she explained.

Beyond screening, the county is also preparing to open its first dedicated cancer treatment centre at Parklands, with the first patients expected to be received by June 2026.

She said the initiative is part of a broader effort to improve access to treatment and reduce the burden on patients who currently travel long distances for care.

Dorothy Nyong'o, Managing Trustee of the Africa Cancer Foundation , Kenya

Dorothy Nyong’o, Managing Trustee of the Africa Cancer Foundation, said early diagnosis remains critical to improving survival rates and reducing the economic burden on families.

She noted that over the past decade, Kenya has made progress in expanding cancer services beyond major cities, although significant gaps remain.

“In the last ten years, the landscape in Kenya has changed dramatically because services are now available in more parts of the country. But there is still a lot of room for improvement,” she said.

Nyong’o emphasised that awareness and early screening are essential because early diagnosis allows patients to receive treatment sooner and return to their normal lives.

“If a woman is diagnosed early, she can get appropriate treatment which will cost less. She will recover, return to her family, and continue with her work and business, and communities will thrive,” she explained.

She also called for greater investment in screening and diagnostics, including support from the Social Health Authority to help remove financial barriers that prevent people from accessing early tests.

Stakeholders say strengthening screening programmes, expanding diagnostic capacity, and improving digital patient tracking systems will be critical if Kenya is to reduce cancer deaths and improve outcomes nationwide.

The Roche Africa Press Day 2026 forms part of the activities leading to the commemoration of this year’s International Women’s Day, marked annually on March 8.

On this occasion, Roche is spotlighting the well-being of women, with an emphasis on approaching health as wealth rather than a cost.

Through these conversations, Roche and its partners are encouraging African governments to prioritise policies that promote investment in national health systems, particularly in cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment for women.