Relief to Cancer Patients as Government Sets up Mombasa Radiotherapy Unit
Health CS Aden Duale flanjed by Rafael Mariano Grossi IAEA Boss(R), Governor Abdulswamad Nassir (Left) PS Dr. Ouma Oluga (Behind) and PS Prof. Shaukat Abdulrazak (Right Behind in glasses) after commissioning Radiotherapy Centre at Coast General Hospital Makadara. (Photo By Mwakwaya Raymond)
By Mwakwaya Raymond
Email, thecoastnewspaper@gmail.com
Cancer patients across the Coast region will no longer have to travel to Nairobi for treatment after Health cabinet secretary Aden Duale opened a new radiotherapy centre in Mombasa.
The facility at the Coast General Teaching and Referral hospital (CGTRH) ends years of pain, cost and delays for families seeking cancer care.
“Today is a proud and historic moment for our country. We gather here not just to commission a facility, but to celebrate progress, partnership, and the promise of a healthier future for all Kenyans,” he said.
The CS was speaking on Monday, May 11, 2026 during the commissioning of the Mombasa Radiotherapy Centre flanked by International Atomic Energy Agency boss Rafael Mariano Grossi and Mombasa county governor Abdulswamad Nassir.
For years, radiotherapy services were only in Nairobi. Patients from the Coast were forced to incur huge bills, travel costs and delayed treatment.
“This had resulted in long waiting times as well as substantial financial and emotional strain,” he said.
“But today, we stand at a turning point. We begin to change that narrative.”
The CS said the government would ensure medical care was effectively served at doorsteps to all the citizens.
“The commissioning of the Mombasa Radiotherapy Centre marks a bold step towards equity in cancer care.”
Duale praised the IAEA for supplying linear accelerators to Mombasa and Nakuru and training Kenyan medics. About half of cancer patients need radiotherapy.
“Under the exemplary leadership of His Excellency, Rafael Mariano Grossi, the IAEA has transformed what was once a distant aspiration into a tangible reality for Kenya,” he said.
He praised the IAEA’s Rays of Hope programme.
“It has brought real hope to thousands of Kenyan families who now have a fighting chance against cancer,” Duale said.
The CS said the deal with IAEA was more than machines. It covers diagnosis, safety systems and skills.
“This is a partnership that is not only technical, it is transformational.”
Duale urged Coast residents to go for early screening.
“To the people of Mombasa and the wider Coastal region, this facility belongs to you. It represents dignity, access, and hope.”
He told Grossi the agency’s work was saving lives.
“Your leadership is shaping a future where advanced medical care is not a privilege, but a right,” Duale said.
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