Nestled on a quiet hillside five kilometres from Bomet town, a groundbreaking medical facility is set to transform heart care across Africa. The four-storey AGC Tenwek Cardiothoracic Centre, spanning 3.5 acres and covering 400,000 square feet, is the largest of its kind in sub-Saharan Africa.
The ultra-modern building houses advanced medical technology and boasts five major operating theatres, a minor surgery room, a catheterisation lab, endoscopy suites, exam rooms, radiology units, and an expansive education wing complete with simulation labs and conference halls.
Initially funded with a modest Sh64.7 million donation, the project stalled before receiving a Sh3.8 billion boost in 2022. Construction took three years, resulting in a state-of-the-art centre with 176 beds, including 40 intensive care unit (ICU) beds—one of the largest ICU capacities in the region. The facility also includes outpatient departments, diagnostic units, and general wards.
The journey to this achievement began in 2008 when visiting medical teams started training local doctors in cardiothoracic procedures. By 2014, independent adult cardiac surgeries were being performed. In 2018, a fellowship programme was launched, driving the need for an expanded, purpose-built facility.
Sustainability is central to the centre’s operations. A 324.5-kilowatt solar power system covers the entire rooftop, ensuring uninterrupted electricity for up to three hours during outages. Water management is equally advanced, with a 500,000-litre rainwater harvesting tank, a water treatment plant, and systems maintaining optimal pressure for critical medical equipment.
Theatres are equipped with hyper-filtration ventilation systems to eliminate airborne microorganisms and maintain positive air pressure, reducing infection risks. Safety is further enhanced by fireproof materials that provide up to three hours for evacuation. Heavy-duty lifts and additional mobility solutions, including golf carts, ensure efficient patient and staff movement.
Faith remains at the heart of the facility, symbolised by a chapel designed in the shape of a flame. The centre also serves as a training institution, currently graduating two board-certified cardiothoracic surgeons annually, with plans to increase this to three.
Capable of handling up to 2,000 heart cases annually, the AGC Tenwek Cardiothoracic Centre stands as a transformative step in expanding access to advanced heart care beyond urban centres showing what can be achieved when vision, innovation, and determination come together.
