M-PESA Foundation and Faraja Cancer Support Trust have begun building a cancer therapy centre in Mombasa to address rising demand for oncology support.

The organisations announced the project at Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital (CGTRH) in a statement dated 18 Aug 2026.

The partners said the Ksh63 million two-storey facility will provide supportive services alongside clinical oncology treatment for patients in Mombasa County and the wider Coast region.

M-PESA Foundation Trustee Celestine Munda said “it will also help reduce turn-around time given the huge numbers that visit this facility seeking treatment”.

The partners said the centre will include counselling rooms for children and individual patients, family therapy rooms and social amenities for patients and caregivers.

According to the statement CGTRH remains the only public facility at the Coast offering oncology services and serves more than 3,000 patients monthly.

The organisations said the additional space will address rising demand for oncology services and the need for therapy support during recovery.

The project matters to Kenya’s health sector because it adds philanthropic funding for specialised care and patient support within a public referral hospital.

Munda said the investment targets patient flow and waiting times at the hospital.

She said the infrastructure investment seeks to address delays in reaching and receiving healthcare so Kenyans can access treatment with dignity.

The statement said at least 80 per cent of cancer patients lack access to full care.

It said only 20 per cent receive sufficient care to manage the disease and Kenya records about 48,000 cancer diagnoses annually.

The organisations did not cite the source of these national figures.

Faraja Cancer Support Trust Founding Trustee Shaira Adamali said “Beyond its impact on health, Cancer affects the whole person.”

Adamali said the centre will address non-clinical needs that affect outcomes for patients and families.

She said cancer affects patients’ emotional wellbeing, families, livelihoods and ability to cope.

Adamali said Faraja provides counselling, nutritional advice, physical therapy and financial assistance for patients struggling to access treatment.

She said these complementary services seek to ease the challenges that cancer brings.

Faraja said it has provided supportive cancer care services in Nairobi for 16 years.

The trust expects the Mombasa facility to reduce travel and related logistical costs for patients who previously relied on services in the capital.

Faraja said the new site will extend its reach to more patients and families along the Coast once operational.

The planned services could help CGTRH manage patient volumes and add structured psychosocial support alongside routine medical treatment.

M-PESA Foundation separately said it has invested Ksh208 million in health projects in Mombasa County.

These projects include upgrades at Likoni Sub-County, Mbungoni Health Centre, Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital and Railways Dispensary.

The partners did not disclose a construction timeline or an expected commissioning date for the new therapy centre.

Bamburi Cement Group on June 15, 2026 commissioned two newly constructed classrooms and an office-store facility at Kwabulo Secondary School in Nyali Sub-County, Mombasa County, in a partnership with Nyali Member of Parliament Mohammed Ali. The company said the initiative was aimed at addressing infrastructure gaps at the public school, where learners previously studied in temporary tents and, in some cases, sat on the floor due to a shortage of desks and classrooms.

According to the media press release issued in Mombasa, the corporate social responsibility project also included the donation of 80 lockers and chairs, alongside curriculum textbooks. Bamburi Cement said the handover was intended to resolve “severe infrastructure deficits” and improve learning conditions for day scholars at the institution.

The development comes as schools across Kenya continue to grapple with classroom congestion and resource constraints that have been linked, in part, to the government’s 100% transition policy. In Mombasa County and other urban areas, pressure on existing facilities has increased with growing enrolment, creating demand for additional classrooms and learning equipment.

Speaking during the commissioning ceremony, Nyali MP Mohammed Ali said the new facilities would replace temporary learning structures and help stabilise learning at the school.

“We are incredibly grateful for the massive support and corporate partnership from Bamburi Cement toward our local education initiatives. These new classrooms replace temporary tents with permanent dignity,” Mohammed Ali said. He added: “Looking ahead, the Nyali National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF) plans to anchor this progress by establishing a fully equipped ICT Lab in the upcoming financial year.”

Bamburi Cement said the project aligns with its corporate pillar of supporting local development in host communities, including providing building materials and structural support. The company did not disclose the value of the project or quantify the cost of the construction and donated items.

While the initiative is framed as a community programme, it also highlights how private-sector participation is increasingly being used to complement public funding for education infrastructure in Kenya. For manufacturers and construction-linked firms, school building projects can also contribute to sustained demand for building materials at the county level, particularly where enrolment growth continues to outpace facility expansion.

In the statement, Bamburi Cement said the new classrooms and facilities are expected to improve attendance and reduce disruptions during harsh weather, which the school previously faced due to temporary structures. The company also said the upgrades are intended to support improved performance outcomes over time, though it did not provide baseline performance data.

Looking ahead, the next milestone for the school will be the proposed ICT lab through the Nyali NG-CDF, as outlined by the area MP. The extent of additional infrastructure needs at Kwabulo Secondary School was not detailed in the press release, but the project underscores the continuing role of constituency-level funding and corporate support in addressing basic school infrastructure deficits in Kenya.

MUA Insurance (Kenya) Limited has relocated and upgraded its Mombasa branch to Jubilee Arcade along Moi Avenue, positioning the office within the coastal city’s central business district as part of a broader branch modernisation and national expansion strategy, the company said on March 17, 2026.

The insurer moved the branch from Zulfat Hatimy Plaza on Hatimy Road, citing the need for a more accessible location as it scales physical service points in line with rising demand for insurance among corporates, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and households.

The expansion plan comes as Kenya’s insurance industry posts steady premium growth but continues to report relatively low penetration levels compared with other financial services. According to the Insurance Regulatory Authority (IRA) quarterly report cited by the company, Kenya’s insurance industry recorded gross written premiums of KES 352.29 billion by September 2025, an 11.2% year-on-year increase, while total industry assets surpassed KES 1 trillion for the first time. The same release put insurance penetration at about 2.4% of GDP, indicating room for growth as insurers broaden distribution through regional outreach and service digitisation.

Within that context, MUA said the Mombasa relocation is intended to strengthen service delivery at the Coast, a key trade and logistics corridor that serves the Port of Mombasa and regional supply chains linking Kenya to Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

“This investment reflects our confidence in Kenya’s long-term economic outlook and the growing importance of insurance in supporting businesses and households,” said Nixon Shigoli, CEO, MUA Insurance (Kenya). “Upgrading our branches allows us to serve customers more efficiently while reinforcing our presence in regions that are central to trade and economic growth.”

MUA said the Mombasa branch will serve businesses and households with products including property and asset insurance, motor and marine cover, liability solutions, health insurance, engineering and cyber insurance, alongside specialised covers such as aviation and political violence insurance.

The company linked its Kenya investment programme to the backing of its parent, Mauritius-based MUA Ltd (Group), which operates across six markets—Mauritius, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania and Seychelles. In the statement, MUA said the group’s market capitalisation reached KES 9.1 billion as of December 2024, a 39% increase within 12 months.

For Kenya’s insurance market, branch upgrades and relocations remain a notable channel strategy even as firms invest in digital distribution. Physical access continues to matter for onboarding and servicing complex commercial lines—such as marine and logistics-related covers—especially in trade-heavy regions like Mombasa, where insurers target port-linked operators, traders, SMEs and households.

The IRA’s data points to an industry that is growing in volumes and balance sheets, but still has significant headroom on penetration. In that environment, insurers’ efforts to extend reach beyond Nairobi and improve service turnaround times could intensify competition in regional hubs, particularly for corporate and SME segments tied to transport, warehousing, construction and import-export activity.

MUA did not disclose the value of its Kenya branch investment or a timeline for additional branch openings. However, the company said the Mombasa move is part of an ongoing modernisation programme aimed at bringing service points closer to customers across key economic centres.