President Ruto says National Ambulance Dispatch Centre to be launched next month

Addressing the 95th St John Ambulance Annual Parade and Inspection ceremony at State House Nairobi, on Sunday, the President said the centre will mark a milestone in Kenya's efforts to strengthen emergency medical services.

It will also transform emergency response by coordinating ambulance services nationally through a digital platform.

Kenya, he stated, will become the second country in Africa to establish a nationally coordinated ambulance dispatch system.

The facility, he noted, will be integrated into the national digital health infrastructure and will facilitate real-time deployment of ambulances, faster coordination and improved emergency response across the country. 

Once fully operational, the system is expected to coordinate 100,000 emergency evacuations every year.

Present at the event were Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, Public Health Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni, Taita-Taveta Governor Andrew Mwadime,  St John Chancellor Gome Lenga and Chairman Robert Mutula, among other dignitaries.

Ruto said Kenyans requiring emergency evacuation services through the dispatch centre will receive them free of charge.

He commended St John Ambulance Kenya for its contribution to healthcare and emergency preparedness, describing the organisation as a strategic national partner in safeguarding lives.

In 2025, the organisation trained more than 254,000 Kenyans in first aid and emergency preparedness and provided life-saving assistance to thousands of road users through its Highway Emergency Response Project.

Ruto also highlighted the organisation's maternal health interventions through the Mama na Mwana programme in Kajiado County, saying the initiative is key in protecting mothers and newborns.

He said the Government has provided modern equipment to 635 hospitals across the country to ensure mothers and newborns get quality healthcare.

“We must ensure that no child dies and every mother gets an opportunity to safely bring forth life,” the President said.

He expressed concern over the high number of road fatalities in the country, disclosing that more than 5,000 Kenyans lost their lives last year. 

"Many could have been saved if help had arrived sooner, or if a trained responder had been nearby during the first few critical minutes after the accident," he said.

To strengthen emergency response, the President pledged continued collaboration between the Government, the Ministry of Health and St John Ambulance Kenya.

He also reaffirmed Government support for the construction of a modern headquarters for the organisation.

He endorsed St John Ambulance Kenya's ambition of ensuring that every household has at least one trained first aider, saying such a goal would make the country safer and more resilient.

Ruto commended the organisation's 62,000 volunteers, cadets and officers, terming them an invaluable national asset whose contribution is measured not in money but in lives saved, suffering eased and hope restored.

He said the Government remains committed to building a stronger healthcare system through initiatives such as the Social Health Authority (SHA), the Every Woman Every Newborn Everywhere programme, the Community Health Promoters  and the National Disaster Risk Management Act.

He called for a Kenya where every citizen is prepared to help others in times of need, saying compassion, responsibility and service remain essential pillars of a resilient nation.

To enhance emergency response, he explained, the Government has boosted the Emergency, Chronic and Critical Illness Fund under SHA, which serves the injured. 

Under the fund, the Government pays for emergency treatment for all Kenyans for the first 24 hours even if they are not registered with SHA.

To boost St John Ambulance Kenya's role, the Government has allocated the organisation land in Nairobi. Parliament will also take over the organisation’s offices next to Parliament at a cost of KSh300 million, which will help St John to build a new headquarters. The government will also provide KSh200 million to support construction of the offices.

Further, the President instructed the Ministry of Health to buy 15 ambulances for St John Ambulance Kenya and register them under SHA.

He also directed the Cabinet Secretary for Health to engage Parliament so that legislation governing St John Ambulance Kenya can be reviewed for Government to provide St John Ambulance Kenya with a KSh100 million budget annually.

Pointing out that health is a constitutional right as enshrined in Article 43, the President said the Government is investing in universal healthcare to ensure all Kenyans access quality and affordable healthcare.

"Whether salaried or not, SHA gives all Kenyans  access to quality healthcare,” he said.

Addressing young people, the President urged them to embrace responsibility, discipline and service to the nation, warning that poor choices often lead to tragic consequences.

Citing recent incidents in schools in which young lives were lost, he called on young people to understand that "freedom and responsibility go hand in hand".

"The easiest thing in the world is to follow the crowd. The hardest thing is to stand apart from it. Yet that is where character is revealed," he said.

Duale said the Government is implementing measures to ensure that emergency services are more responsive and accessible to all Kenyans. He pointed to St John Ambulance Kenya's Highway Response Project as a testament to the power of partnership in saving lives.

Dr Mutula said humanitarian service is important in national development, noting that St John Ambulance Kenya is making a difference by empowering young people in schools, colleges and universities with various skills.

In the past one year, Dr Mutula said, St. John Ambulance Kenya has trained thousands of youths on disaster preparedness and leadership skills.