NAIROBI, Kenya Jun 21 – President William Ruto has 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.
He also reaffirmed support for the construction of a modern headquarters for the organisation. The government has allocated St. John land in Nairobi and will also provide KSh200 million to support construction of the offices.
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 the new headquarters.
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.
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, Mutula said, St. John Ambulance Kenya has trained thousands of youths on disaster preparedness and leadership skills.
