Kendu Adventist Hospital in Rachuonyo North.
To any member of the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church, the name Gendia resonates deeply.
Perched above the shimmering waters of Lake Victoria in Kendu Bay, Gendia has drawn together believers from across South Nyanza and beyond for over a century.
Its legacy is so profound that the Luo SDA hymnal is affectionately known as Nyagendia—"born of Gendia."
In 1906 pioneer missionaries Arthur Carscallen and Peter Nyambo arrived on the lake’s shores and established a mission station overlooking Kisumu in the distance.
With land donated by local communities, they laid the foundation for what would become a flourishing spiritual and social hub.
From humble beginnings, the missionaries converted local populations establishing Gendia SDA Church which still stands today.
That influence extended beyond religion giving rise to institutions including schools, a hospital, and social centres.
Today, Gendia is home to Gendia Primary and secondary schools, Kendu Adventist Hospital (widely known as Gendia Hospital) and the Kendu Adventist Hospital School of Medical Sciences.
Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo during a celebration to mark 100 years since the establishment of Kendu Adventist Hospital in Rachuonyo North on June 22, 2025.
This year marks a century since the founding of the hospital. Established in 1925 as Kenya Hospital by Dr George A.S Madgwick and two Danish nurses, it is the oldest and largest Adventist hospital in the country.
“This hospital is a living testament to vision, service and faith,” says Dr Denny Hong, Chief Medical Officer.
Dr Madgwick who was a missionary physician laid its foundation on land donated by Chief Okoth at Nyaburi, beginning with just six beds. Danish nurses Karen Nielsen and Carentze Olsen, both formerly of Skodsburg Sanitarium in Denmark, soon joined him bringing deep experience.
An ambulance belonging to Kendu Adventist Hospital.
In the early days, care was offered in modest grass-thatched huts and over time they were replaced with brick structures.
Like Gendia Church, some of the original buildings remain in use.
What began as a small clinic has since grown into a 170-bed facility and the hospital offers a comprehensive range of services including general and specialised surgeries, maternity and paediatric care and outpatient clinics for chronic and lifestyle conditions like diabetes, hypertension and reproductive health.
It is also the only facility in South Nyanza offering clubfoot treatment which is a birth defect in which the foot turns inward and downward and in severe cases, the sole may face sideways or upward.
The hospital’s medical school established in 1948 began by training nurse Aides and has since expanded to produce nurses, clinical officers and laboratory technologists.
Also within the compound is Ruby Kraft Adventist Comprehensive School founded in 1992 to offer quality Christian education for the children of hospital staff.
Ambitious expansion plans are underway, including new tuition blocks, hostels, a cancer and mental health centre, and a training hub for Christian surgeons and reproductive health specialists.
The entrance of Kendu Adventist Hospital.
Centenary celebrations were held on Sunday and graced by Interior PS Dr Raymond Omollo hosted his counterparts, Ouma Oluga (Medical Services), Mary Muthoni (Public Health), Boniface Makokha (Economic Planning) and Kipronoh Rono (Agriculture).
The leaders used the occasion to promote registration for the Social Health Authority (SHA), a new government health scheme launched in October last year.
“SHA enables access to healthcare without financial strain,” said Dr Omollo, touting its superiority over the defunct National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF), despite scepticism from some political quarters.
Dr Oluga announced that over Sh20 billion had been allocated to SHA and urged hospitals to improve service delivery. Homa Bay currently has a 44 percent registration rate, ranking 13th nationally. He pledged to mobilise local registration this week.
“We must ensure no patient is turned away for lack of cover,” he said.
