Home News Monitoring Visit: Kenya 2025 (Part 1)
From 9 to 18 November 2025, a monitoring visit to Kenya was carried out with the aim of assessing the progress and results of projects financed from the Official Development Assistance of the Slovak Republic. Representatives of SAIDC (Slovak Agency for International Development Cooperation), the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic, and the Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Nairobi visited selected projects in and around Nairobi, along the coast in the Kilifi region, and in the western part of the country in the West Pokot region.
The purpose of the visit was to gain an overview of the implementation status of the projects and their impact on target groups, as well as to identify factors that support or, on the contrary, limit their further development. Meetings with local partners and beneficiaries provided insights into the results of implemented and completed projects and enabled the members of the monitoring team to better understand the local implementation context.
The findings of the monitoring visit represent an important input for the future direction of the Slovak Republic’s development cooperation in Kenya. This article presents selected projects monitored during the first three days of the visit.
The first day of the monitoring visit focused on projects aimed at improving access to health care for patients from local and marginalized communities. The programme included visits to the Mukuru community health centre and Mater Misericordiae Hospital.
The Mukuru Promotion Centre operates in one of the poorest areas of Nairobi — the Mukuru informal settlement. The project responded to the limited access of the local community to basic health care and the insufficient equipment of the health centre.
The aim of the project was to improve the material equipment of the Mary Immaculate Clinic and to strengthen the centre’s capacities in health care provision, hygiene, nutrition and community education. Thanks to the support of SlovakAid, medical equipment was provided, training for staff and the community was delivered, and personnel support was ensured.
Today, the clinic provides health services to approximately 70 patients per day and at the same time carries out preventive and educational activities focused on infection prevention and crisis preparedness.
Mater Misericordiae Hospital is a long-term partner of Slovakia in the field of paediatric cardiac surgery development. Projects implemented in cooperation with the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NÚSCH) focus on the treatment of children with congenital heart defects and on the systematic development of the professional capacities of local medical staff.
In recent years, several medical missions of Slovak cardiac surgeons to Mater Hospital have been carried out within SlovakAid-supported projects, during which dozens of children with congenital heart defects requiring complex open-heart surgical procedures were operated on. Most patients came from Kenya, but children from neighbouring countries were also treated.
As part of a comprehensive approach to strengthening health care, training of medical personnel in pre-operative and post-operative care was also provided. The hospital was additionally equipped with essential medical materials and supplies necessary for the performance of these procedures.
Within one of the projects, a study visit of the management of Mater Hospital to the Children’s Cardiac Centre in Bratislava was also organised, supporting the vision of establishing a Centre of Excellence for children with heart diseases in East Africa.
The project was implemented in cooperation with the Slovak company Powerful Medical, using a medical AI solution for the automated interpretation of ECG recordings (AI-powered PMcardio). The objective of the project was to strengthen the diagnostic capacities of frontline doctors and nurses, improve access to ECG interpretation, and support the early detection of health conditions that might otherwise remain unnoticed. The project established cooperation with several hospitals in Kenya, including Mater Hospital.
The monitoring visit on Tuesday continued with a visit to St. Philip Neri School in the Joska area (Machakos County), one of the flagship projects of the Slovak Republic’s official development cooperation in Kenya.
Projects implemented by the St. Elizabeth College of Health and Social Work are carried out directly with the local partner – St. Philip Neri School and focus on expanding school facilities, linking theoretical and practical education, and supporting the implementation of Kenya’s education system reform. Approximately 60% of the current school campus has been developed with SlovakAid support.
Supported projects included:
Upcoming project activities include the creation of a school field with drip irrigation to support education in sustainable agriculture and environmental awareness.
The projects have contributed to improved education quality, the development of students’ digital and practical skills, and support for the inclusion of girls and students with disabilities.
Particularly significant are projects that provide systematic teacher training focused on digital education and implementing school reforms, which in practice compensate for gaps in state support. These trainings are in high demand among teachers and substantially improve teaching quality in the region. Activities also include support for a STEM club for girls and boys, engaging dozens of top-performing students. The club promotes interest in science, technology, and innovation while supporting equal opportunities in education.
Overall, these initiatives have enabled over 900 students to access modern, practically oriented education, opened secondary education opportunities for disadvantaged groups (including girls and students with disabilities), and helped the school rank among the top 100 schools in Kenya. Planned future activities include further development of practical education and strengthening the school’s links with the local community and labor market.
The programme also included visits to projects implemented under the Business Partnerships Programme, which connects Slovak companies with local partners and supports sustainable business development, innovation and job creation.
E-mobility and sustainable technologies
Implemented in cooperation between the Slovak company AgeVolt Slovakia and the Kenyan company Manyur Technologies, this project focuses on the development of e-mobility in East Africa. It includes market analysis, preparation of conditions for the local production of charging stations, prototype development and the installation of chargers. The project contributes to the development of environmentally friendly technologies and the transfer of Slovak know-how to the region.
Sustainable insect farming
This BPP project, implemented in cooperation with the Slovak company Scientica and the local company InsectiPro, supported the introduction of modern technologies for the mass rearing of mealworms in Kenya. It included the automation of production, expert training, process standardisation and job creation with a strong emphasis on gender equality. The project has established a sustainable business model with positive environmental impact and new market opportunities in the food and feed sectors.
The third day of the monitoring visit focused on a visit to refuSHE, an organization that is a direct recipient of SlovakAid microgrants aimed at supporting education, digital skills, and psychosocial stability for young refugee women in Kenya.
RefuSHE has long worked with young women from refugee communities, providing them with a combination of practical skills training, digital competencies, and psychosocial support, with the goal of strengthening their self-reliance and life opportunities.
The project addressed the need to expand educational opportunities through digital and globally applicable skills.As part of the initiative, an IT lab was established and equipped, trainers were certified through the CISCO curriculum, and digital education was provided in areas such as IT, cybersecurity, and computer literacy.The program also included career guidance and preparation for online work, allowing some graduates to earn their first income from digital employment.The project thus contributed to increasing the competitiveness of young women in the labor market and opened new avenues for sustainable income.
The project was followed by a subsequent phase, which expanded the original digital training to include broader support in education, professional skills, and mental health.Hundreds of women participated in certified courses, received further education, and gained access to psychological support and psychoeducation.This combination of support contributed to greater self-reliance, improved access to education, and enhanced quality of life for the women and their families.
Significance and Impact of the ActivitiesWednesday’s program confirmed that SlovakAid microgrants and projects can achieve significant developmental impact even with relatively modest funding, provided they are effectively targeted and respond to the real needs of the target groups in this case, in the areas of education, digital skills, and systematic support for vulnerable communities.
Photo source: SAIDC, Mater Misericordiae Hospital, refuSHE, Manyur Technologies