Open in app Sign up Sign in Write Sign up Sign in ![\\"\\"](\\" # TRUE: Murang’a County built an ICU centre in less than 30 days ## Murang’a Governor confirms that the facility was constructed in under three weeks ![\\"PesaCheck\\"](\\" ![\\"PesaCheck\\"](\\" PesaCheck · Follow Published in PesaCheck · 4 min read · May 6, 2020 \-- Listen Share ![\\"\\"](\\" A Facebook post by Mohammed Hersi claiming that Murang’a County in central Kenya built an Intensive Care Unit Centre at the Murang’a Level Five Hospital in less than 30 days is TRUE. The post adds that the construction of the facility was accelerated as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Murang’a Governor Mwangi wa Iria confirmed to PesaCheck that the 35-bed capacity facility was built in 19 days. The story on the construction of the ICU facility was also carried by both the Daily Nation and Star newspapers. “The idea to build an ICU center at the Murang’a Level Five Hospital was conceptualized a few days after the country reported its first COVID-19 case. Our county engineers worked together with local youth day and night for three weeks and the work was done,” said the governor during a phone interview. On April 13, Governor wa Iria announced that his government would build an ICU facility with 35 beds within three weeks. On March 29, Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said that the country has 1,000 ICU beds. An article published by PesaCheck on March 31 on the number of ICU beds in the country revealed conflicting numbers from different sources. The numbers provided by the Ministry of Health differed with the 533 provided by Economist David Ndii. Intensive Care Units and beds are needed to manage serious COVID-19 cases, which require critical care equipment such as monitors for observing patients, and ventilators to monitor patients and assist their breathing. Kenya had reported 535 COVID-19 cases as of May 5, with 24 fatalities and 182 recoveries. PesaCheck has looked into the claim that Murang’a country built an ICU facility in less than 30 days and finds it to be TRUE. This post is part of an ongoing series of PesaCheck fact-checks examining content marked as _potential misinformation_ on Facebook and other social media platforms. By partnering with Facebook and similar social media platforms, third-party fact-checking organisations like PesaCheck are helping to sort fact from fiction. We do this by giving the public deeper insight and context to posts they see in their social media feeds. Have you spotted what you think is fake news or false information on Facebook? Here’s how you can report. And, here’s more information on PesaCheck’s methodology for fact-checking questionable content. ![\\"\\"](\\" This fact-check was written by PesaCheck Fact-Checker _James Okong’o_ and edited by PesaCheck Deputy Editor _Enock Nyariki._ The article was approved for publication by PesaCheck Managing Editor _Eric Mugendi_. ![\\"\\"](\\" PesaCheck is East Africa’s first public finance fact-checking initiative. It was co-founded by _Catherine Gicheru_ and _Justin Arenstein_, and is being incubated by the continent’s largest civic technology and data journalism accelerator: _Code for Africa_. It seeks to help the public separate fact from fiction in public pronouncements about the numbers that shape our world, with a special emphasis on pronouncements about public finances that shape government’s delivery of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) public services, such as healthcare, rural development and access to water/sanitation. _PesaCheck_also tests the accuracy of media reportage. To find out more about the project, visit ___pesacheck.org_ _._ ![\\"\\"](\\" Follow Us ![\\"\\"](\\" Like Us ![\\"\\"](\\" Email Us PesaCheck is a joint initiative of _Code for Africa_, through its _innovateAFRICA fund_, with additional funding support from the _International Budget Partnership (Kenya)_ and _Twaweza_, in partnership with a coalition of local media organisations, and the _International Center for Journalists (ICFJ)_. ![](\\" ## Sign up to discover human stories that deepen your understanding of the world. ## Free Distraction-free reading. No ads. Organize your knowledge with lists and highlights. Tell your story. Find your audience. Sign up for free ## Membership Read member-only stories Support writers you read most Earn money for your writing Listen to audio narrations Read offline with the Medium app Try for $5/month Icu Kenya Coronavirus Covid-19 \-- \-- ![\\"PesaCheck\\"](\\" ![\\"PesaCheck\\"](\\" Follow ## Written by PesaCheck 5.8K Followers ·Editor for PesaCheck Are they lying? Kenya’s 1st fact-checking initiative verifies statements by public figures. A @Code4Kenya and @IBP_Kenya initiative, supported by @Code4Africa. Follow Help Status About Careers Press Blog Privacy Terms Text to speech Teams
Murang'a built an ICU in 35 days