The second phase of Daktari Smart now aims to serve more than fifty thousand children across ten underserved counties by August two thousand twenty‑seven. Since the programme began four years ago, the first phase has already reached over twenty‑seven thousand children in Samburu, Homa Bay, Baringo, Narok and Lamu. The expansion also includes training eight hundred health workers and eleven hundred fifty community health promoters to strengthen local care capacity.
Rather than simply linking technology, Daktari Smart invests in local nursing expertise by sponsoring two nurses for specialised paediatric nurse training, one at Mpeketoni Sub‑County Hospital and one at Lamu County Referral Hospital. This effort adds to a nationwide cohort of two hundred five nurses already trained, and the next round will introduce specialised paediatric oncology nursing to handle complex childhood illnesses. The programme’s theme, “Daktari Smart: Beyond Technology,” emphasizes the importance of systems, partnerships and trained staff to turn telemedicine into lasting specialist care.
Over eight thousand telemedicine sessions were recorded in two thousand twenty‑six, and patients identified through Daktari Smart now receive free treatment at Gertrude’s Children’s Hospital for conditions such as cleft lip and palate, heart surgery and systemic lupus erythematosus. An effective referral system is essential so children in remote areas can access specialist expertise from the main hospital in Muthaiga without unnecessary delays. Construction is underway for five additional sites, bringing the total to eleven, with services slated to begin in October twenty‑twenty‑six across the new locations.
Joseph Ogutu, trustee of the Safaricom Foundation, noted that the partnership with Gertrude’s Children’s Hospital shows how technology can remove barriers to specialist care for families in remote regions. Celestine Munda, trustee of the M‑PESA Foundation, added that technology combined with stronger health systems and skilled personnel brings specialist expertise closer to the communities that need it most. Both leaders stressed that the partnership aims to make specialist care reachable, regardless of a child’s location, by reinforcing frontline health workers and referral pathways. Daktari Smart links community workers with specialist knowledge to improve early detection and referral for complex cases.
The Daktari Smart platform equips participating facilities with an electronic stethoscope, vital signs monitor, high‑resolution camera, ultrasound, otoscope and ECG, enabling local clinicians to conduct real‑time consultations without requiring families to travel long distances. Information gathered through the programme reveals patterns in health‑seeking behaviour, patient experiences, waiting times and transport challenges, insights that are used to improve service delivery and integrate telemedicine into county health systems.
Phase II preparations now target Turkana, Kwale, Vihiga, Laikipia and Makueni, with service launches slated for October twenty‑twenty‑six at the new sites. Community training is delivered at Hindi Health Centre, Siyu Dispensary, Witu Sub‑County Hospital and Mpeketoni Sub‑County Hospital, equipping health workers and community health promoters to identify, refer and support children needing specialist care. These activities reinforce the broader health system alongside technology, ensuring telemedicine becomes a sustainable part of routine health services in the region. Daktari Smart will continue to expand its reach, ensuring more children benefit from specialist expertise through this telemedicine network.