Residents of Nyakach Sub-County in Kisumu are set to benefit from a wide range of free government and health services during a two-day mega medical and public service outreach taking place at Kanyateng Primary School.
The event has been organised by the Ministry of Health in partnership with the Office of the Attorney General, Huduma Centre, and the Voice of Hope Foundation.
Running on December 13 and 14, the outreach is expected to serve more than 10,000 people from Nyakach and neighbouring counties.
On Friday afternoon, workers and volunteers moved briskly across the school compound, setting up tents and preparing for what coordinators described as one of the most comprehensive community service programmes ever mounted in the area.
According to Hariet Kedogo, one of the lead organisers, the medical team comprises more than 150 professionals drawn from various specialities.
She said residents will receive free services ranging from routine triage, blood pressure, and BMI checks to detailed laboratory screening for diabetes, hepatitis, syphilis, and other common ailments.
The camp will also offer HIV and TB screening, physiotherapy, consultations with physicians, dental services, cervical cancer screening, ophthalmology care, and mother-and-child immunisation.
Kedogo noted that sickle cell screening was a key addition to this year’s camp, highlighting Nyakach as one of the areas where cases continue to rise.
She said those found to have the condition would be linked to ongoing care during the outreach.
Away from the medical tents, the Voice of Hope Foundation has been leading a parallel drive to ensure residents access crucial government services that many have struggled to obtain due to distance, lack of information, or difficulty navigating online platforms.
Chrispine Osunga, a representative of the foundation, said the team spent the week moving from village to village sensitising residents about voter registration, marriage applications, birth and death certificates, and the process of onboarding to the E-Citizen platform.
He said the initiative had revealed how many people remained unregistered or unaware of the procedures required to access services, prompting a need for more community-focused outreach.
By Friday, the Office of the Attorney General had confirmed that more than 190 couples’ marriages had been registered, with some signing up for a mass wedding scheduled for Saturday, where they will receive their marriage certificates.
Osunga said the event had attracted a surge of interest from couples who had lacked the means or documentation to formalise their unions.
Other services offered include the issuance of certificates of good conduct, registration of births and IDs, and legal consultations.
The Attorney General and Principal Secretary Oluga are expected to officially commission the event on Saturday morning.
Youth programmes are also a major component of the two-day outreach.
The Ministry of Youth Affairs is registering young people into the Nyota programme, which targets youth empowerment in various sectors.
A new digital hub, the first in Nyakach, is also set to be launched during the event, with a strong focus on digital literacy, online entrepreneurship, and creative skills development.
Osunga described the hub as a major milestone for rural youth who often miss out on digital opportunities available in urban areas.
Environmental conservation has also been included in the programme, with 2,000 tree seedlings prepared for planting within the school compound and for distribution to nearby learning institutions.
Organisers said the activity would form part of broader efforts to involve the community in environmental stewardship.
Samuel Mola, the CDF Project Coordinator and chair of the organising committee, said the outreach was initiated by the area MP, Aduma Owuor, to bridge the service gap experienced by residents.
He noted that there will be a high turnout, saying that mobilisation efforts, including the deployment of buses across all wards, will make it possible for the elderly, widows, and vulnerable groups to attend.
He added that widows and adolescents would have special sessions with government officials where they would be guided on available social protection and empowerment programmes.
Child protection officers will also use the event to speak to parents about handling child abuse cases, positive parenting, and mentorship opportunities for orphans and vulnerable children.
The officers said many parents lacked information on their roles and responsibilities, and the outreach offered an ideal platform to provide guidance.
As Nyakach prepares for the peak of the event on Saturday and Sunday, organisers say they are ready for the huge crowd expected, including visitors travelling from other counties.
The two-day outreach marks a major push by the government and its partners to take services directly to the community and ensure no one is left behind.
Government takes services to the people as Nyakach hosts major two-day medical and huduma outreach/Faith Matete 
