President Ruto, for his part, praised the foundation’s work and impact in Kenya, saying, “We appreciate the Gates Foundation’s support for critical initiatives in Kenya’s health, agriculture, and ICT sectors.” We look forward to continuing to work together on food security and universal health coverage.
Meanwhile, Gates has congratulated the President on the upcoming Hustler Fund, stating that it will financially empower ordinary Kenyans to generate income and wealth.
In turn, President Ruto stated that Kenya was committed to allocating more resources to community health workers in order to improve primary healthcare.
Previously, Gates, a co-founder of Microsoft, visited Makueni County to assess the impact of Primary Health Care.
The billionaire, accompanied by Makueni Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jnr, visited Makueni County Referral Hospital and Kathonzweni Level 3 hospital, where he met medical staff and community health volunteers who described their work.
The Kenya Vision 2030 development blueprint and the nation’s Sustainable Development Goals, which include gender equality and primary health care, serve as the foundation’s main points of focus. These areas of expertise overlap with the government’s priorities in Kenya.
The foundation also collaborates with partners to help people in low-income communities improve their livelihoods and get out of poverty.
Furthermore, their efforts include increasing the use of digital financial services and payments and ensuring that these services meet the needs of low-income Kenyans and small and medium-sized businesses, improving smallholder farmers’ agricultural productivity and assisting them in weathering the effects of climate change, expanding access to family planning services and products, and improving economic opportunities for women.
From its regional headquarters in Johannesburg and offices in Abuja and Addis Abeba, the foundation works across Africa.