Counties Seek Stronger Systems to Improve Emergency Medical Response

By Njeri Irungu,
12 March 2026,
Nairobi Kenya.
County governments are exploring new ways to strengthen emergency medical services in a bid to improve ambulance response and save more lives across the country. The discussions took place during a conference organised by the Emergency Medicine Kenya Foundation (EMKF), which brought together health officials and partners working in the emergency care sector.
The meeting focused on improving pre-hospital emergency care, including ambulance dispatch systems, policies, infrastructure and financing for emergency response services.

Kisumu County Executive Committee Member for Medical Services, Public Health and Sanitation, Dr Gregory Ganda, said Kisumu has made significant steps in building a coordinated ambulance response system. He noted that the initiative was driven by Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o’s pledge to provide free ambulance services to residents.

Dr Ganda explained that the county established an Emergency Operations Centre in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, which serves as the central command for ambulance dispatch and coordination of emergency response.

Through the centre, emergency calls are managed and ambulances deployed across different regions of the county, helping improve coordination of medical emergencies.

The county currently operates 16 ambulances, with 14 functional, and has budgeted for three additional units in the current financial year. According to Dr Ganda, the county plans to gradually expand the fleet to at least 28 ambulances to reduce response times, particularly in remote areas where emergency response can sometimes take up to 90 minutes.

He added that Kisumu is also exploring the use of new digital technology to monitor ambulances in real time and improve the management of emergency dispatch services.

Kericho County Executive Committee Member for Health Services, David Ekuwan, said the conference provided counties with a platform to exchange ideas and learn from each other on strengthening emergency healthcare systems.

In Kericho County, Ekuwan said the county government has integrated emergency medical services within its health facilities and continues to improve ambulance response through partnerships with both public and private providers.

He noted that the county operates a dedicated emergency call line that residents can use to request ambulance services, while private partners such as Browns International help provide ambulance support in tea estate areas.

Kericho has also developed a policy framework to guide emergency medical services and has trained healthcare workers to improve the quality of emergency care with support from EMKF.

EMKF Director of Programs and Government Relations, Emily Nyagake, said the organisation is working with counties to strengthen emergency healthcare systems across Kenya.

She noted that 12 counties currently operate dispatch centres coordinating ambulance services, while more than 20 counties have developed policies on pre-hospital emergency care.

Nyagake added that 32 counties have already started allocating funds in their budgets to support emergency healthcare services, signalling growing commitment by county governments to improve emergency response systems nationwide.

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