The USAID 4TheChild project handed over assorted project assets worth KSh 9.7 million to the leadership of Kakamega County as part of the project’s transition phase. The handover was presided over by Prof. Robert Tenge, Principal of Moi University College of Health Sciences (MUCHS), George Okoth, Chief of Party and Kenneth Otieno, Deputy Chief of Party of the USAID 4TheChild project. County leadership was led by Deputy Governor Hon. Ayub Savula, County Secretary, and County Executive Committee members for Health, Hon. Livingston Imbayi and his Finance counterpart Hon. Benjamin Andama.
The project is set to close its operations in March 2026. The handover exercise is aimed at strengthening county operations and sustaining health and social services for orphans and vulnerable children (OVC). The project assets include a Land Cruiser, laptops, desktops, printers, a projector, office chairs, tent, plastic chairs and a fridge.
The project was implemented in Kakamega by MUCHS and the local sub-grantee Community Asset Building and Development Agency (CABDA), with support from key government departments including the Department of Health and Directorate of Children Services. Similar handover exercises are ongoing in other counties where the project operates, including Bungoma, Busia, Siaya, and Kisumu, ahead of the project’s final closure.
Since its inception in March 2021, the project has invested approximately KSh 254 million (USD 1,588,523) in Kakamega County to strengthen county-led health and social services. In HIV care, 3,443 children and adolescents living with HIV were linked to treatment, achieving 94% viral suppression, with 251 receiving drug adherence tools and 665 supported with transport to attend clinic appointments.
In education, 96% (8,779 of 9,392) of school-going OVC maintained school attendance. The project supported the children with school fees, school uniforms and sanitary towels for adolescent girls, promoting dignity and school retention. Household level outcomes include 79% of enrolled households engaged in economic
strengthening initiatives and 98% of 4,575 households reporting no experience of violence.
The project further supported the development and launch of the Kakamega County Children Policy (2023) by providing technical and logistical support, organizing stakeholder consultations, and facilitating the launch event. The policy is key in safeguarding gains for child welfare, providing a legal and operational framework, and ensuring sustainable protection of children’s rights across Kakamega County. Other project officers present during the ceremony include, Caren Onyango, Finance Director, Kennedy Olango, currently acting transition lead and Jackline Melly, Service Delivery Manager and point person in Kakamega County.
For more information, contact
George Okoth – Chief of Party – Gokoth@usaid4thechild.or.ke
About USAID 4TheChild:
The five-year (2021–2026) PEPFAR-funded project, implemented by MUCHS through AMPATH Kenya, aims to improve access to quality health, education and social services for orphans and vulnerable children and adolescents living with HIV across Bungoma, Busia, Kakamega, Kisumu and Siaya Counties.
