Homa Bay County, Kenya – A life-changing opportunity awaits residents of Homa Bay County as the third annual Free Surgical and Cataract Camp is set to take place from October 27th to November 1st, 2025.
Organised by the Rotary Club of Nairobi Magharibi, in partnership with the Surgical Society of Kenya, the Kenya Society for the Blind, and the Homa Bay County Government, this camp promises to bring critical healthcare services to the doorstep of some of Kenya’s most underserved populations.
Leading up to the camp, residents across all sub-counties will undergo pre-screening in local hospitals to identify candidates for free surgeries. Procedures will include treatment for hernias, goiters, fistulas, cataracts, and other surgically treatable conditions that many residents live with for years due to limited access or inability to afford care.
For thousands of residents in Homa Bay, access to timely surgical care remains a dream. Many suffer in silence from ailments that are easily treatable but go unattended due to high medical costs, limited specialist availability, and poor access to facilities—particularly in rural areas. Homa Bay County reports high cases of neglected surgical conditions, including cataracts leading to preventable blindness, untreated goiters, hernias, and chronic wounds. Surgical camps like these provide not just healing—but dignity, independence, and restored livelihoods for the beneficiaries.
“Our aim is to bridge the gap in surgical care by not just offering services, but also by empowering local medics through skills transfer and mentorship,” added Dr. Benjamin Okanga, Camp Director from the Surgical Society of Kenya.
This year’s camp will once again benefit from cutting-edge medical innovations, including:
• Laparoscopic (keyhole) surgery, enabling faster recovery with minimal scarring
• Remote surgical mentoring via Proximie, a revolutionary technology that allows expert surgeons to guide procedures in real time using augmented reality and secure video feeds
• Mobile theatre units from Laparoscopy on Wheels, which bring high-quality surgical tools directly to rural settings
“These technologies are a game-changer for our county. Proximie allows our local teams to gain expertise from specialists across the country or even globally, in real time. This initiative aligns with our commitment to universal health coverage. We welcome this partnership and its role in reducing the surgical backlog in our region.” said Dr. Kevin Osuri, Chief Officer at the Homa Bay County Health Department.
The camp builds on the success of past missions in Narok and Makueni, where over 1,700 patients were screened, and hundreds received free surgeries, including life-changing eye operations.
In addition to surgeries, the camp includes a strong teaching and mentorship component, providing hands-on training for medical students and local health workers, ensuring the knowledge stays long after the tents come down.
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