By Dickson Mwiti
Community Health Promoters (CHPs) in Tharaka Nithi County have received a major boost after Buffalo Bicycles, in partnership with Village Hopecore International, donated 150 bicycles to enhance delivery of primary healthcare services at the community level.
The bicycles are expected to improve mobility for CHPs, enabling them to reach households more efficiently, particularly in hard-to-reach and geographically dispersed areas across the county.
Village Hopecore International founder Kajira Mugambi said the work of community health promoters is a calling that gives life meaning and purpose. He urged the CHPs to keep hope alive as they continue serving their communities, noting that living a life that matters is a matter of choice rather than circumstance.
“Serving as a CHP is about choosing to live a life of significance to others. Your flames of hope should not go out as you continue to serve the people,” said Mr Mugambi adding that said thanking the donor and the county government for supporting community health workers.
Buffalo Bicycles Africa Region Coordinator Maureen Kolenyo said the organisation recognises the vital role CHPs play in improving health outcomes noting that their efforts cannot be fully rewarded.
She said the bicycles would help improve their quality of life while enhancing service delivery.
“In health, distance is everything. It can mean the difference between life and death, early or delayed care, crisis or solution,” said Ms Kolenyo said.
She added: “By solving the challenge of mobility, we believe these bicycles will greatly improve health outcomes in this county.”
She further noted that the bicycles are multi-purpose, capable of carrying loads of up to 100 kilograms, allowing CHPs to not only perform their duties more effectively but also access markets and improve their livelihoods.
Ms Kolenyo said mechanics will be trained in the sub-counties to ensure the bicycles are maintained for long-term use, while expressing hope that more resources would be mobilised to provide bicycles to all CHPs in the county.
Speaking at the event, the Tharaka Nithi Deputy Governor Nyaga Muisraeli who was the Chief Guest thanked the partners and donors for their support, describing the donation as a practical step toward strengthening community-based healthcare.
“The CHPs are the backbone of primary healthcare. Their daily work is fundamental to the success of universal health coverage through their household visits and early disease identification,” said Muisraeli.
He noted that the bicycles would enhance mobility, reduce travel time, and improve emergency response, particularly for pregnant mothers, newborns, and patients with chronic illnesses.
He further said that the initiative aligns with the county’s Integrated Development Plan (CIDP) and is expected to improve household coverage, immunisation tracking, follow-up of defaulters, and community-level disease surveillance.
He also reaffirmed the County Government’s commitment to supporting CHPs through training, digital tools, and continuous supervision to strengthen healthcare delivery at the grassroots level.
