KEMRI’s new impetus to transform health research.

On 21st November 2024, the Acting Director Prof. Elijah Songok toured Kombewa Research Centre (CRC) to assess the construction progress of the proposed KEMRI- Kombewa Children’s Research Hospital. This hospital is poised to revolutionize pediatric care in the region, providing state of the art facilities to address child health challenges through research driven solutions.

“The construction of this facility represents a new dawn for KEMRI in advancing pediatric care and ensuring the health and well-being of our children. This shows our driven commitment to transformative healthcare delivery in the region,” said Prof. Songok during his visit to the construction site.

Prof. Songok engaged also with the officials from Seme Constituency who are spearheading the development of the new infrastructure. He lauded their partnership, emphasizing the vital role such collaborations play in ensuring completion of projects that benefits the community.

Prior to the visit to the site, Prof. Songok met with the leadership of Kombewa CRC, including Research Scientist Dr. Janet Ayieko and senior representatives from the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR), led by Western Kenya Field Station Director, Col. Gerald Kellar and the Director Kombewa CRC, LTC. Martin Evans. He appreciated the long standing partnership that KEMRI and WRAIR Africa have enjoyed spanning over four decades contributing significantly to the Institute’s research advancements. “70 percent of our research funding comes from the US agencies, and we really acknowledge this, and we look forward to exciting new developments with WRAIR,” said Prof. Songok.

Col.Kellar, who recently joined the region, expressed his gratitude for the strong partnership between the two entities and assured of the continued support and to work in line with the country’s health research priorities. “This collaboration is critical in driving impactful research and enhancing health research outcomes. We are committed to keep not only the US army safe from any anti-microbial resistance disease but every solder so that they are able to conduct their duties effectively,” he elucidated. LTC Martin Evans, also new to the team, emphasized the importance of the engagement noting that it has offered a platform for the staff to have sit down with the Director General and discuss in depthly their operations in the centre.

The visit served as an opportunity for Prof. Songok to appraise staff on the new administrative changes as per the new Institute’s Human Resource instruments. He announced that all staff in the Nyanza region will now be reporting administratively to the Centre for Global Health Research (CGHR), Kisumu, while those in the Western, Coast,and Central regions will report to Busia, Kilifi and Kirinyaga KEMRI Centres respectively. “This reorganization is expected to synchronize operations and ease administrative processes and operations across KEMRI’s stations,” he affirmed.

At the KEMRI Siaya Station, Prof. Songok reiterated these administrative changes and further engaged staff on their ongoing research project, impacts and challenges faced. He commended their resilience and dedication, noting that their work remains central to KEMRI’s mission of delivering evidence based health solutions to underserved communities.

During the engagement, staff at the station highlighted key concerns and suggestions to improve their work environment and productivity. Among the issues raised were challenges with inadequate office space and the need to transition to cloud based systems for better archiving and access to concluded research data. Prof. Songok acknowledged these concerns and assured them that the management is keen to address the issues in the coming days to create an enabling work environment.

During the tour, the Director General was accompanied by Research Scientist Dr. Bernhards Ogutu, and the Principal Corporate Communications Officer Mr. James Wodera.