Nairobi, Kenya – Kenya-based medical oxygen provider Hewatele has raised $10.5 million in funding from AfricInvest’s Transform Health Fund (THF) to construct a large-scale liquid oxygen (LOX) facility aimed at addressing critical oxygen shortages across East Africa.
The investment will finance the development of a Cryogenic Medical Liquid Oxygen Air Separation Unit at Tatu Industrial Park, near Nairobi. Once operational, the facility is expected to produce oxygen at a purity of 99.6%, surpassing international medical standards and stabilizing regional supply chains.
Access to medical oxygen remains a significant challenge in East Africa. In Kenya, more than 70% of existing Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) oxygen plants are either non-functional or produce oxygen below the World Health Organization’s 90% purity benchmark. This gap has hampered treatment for respiratory illnesses, safe surgeries, and emergency care, particularly in rural communities.
Hewatele’s expansion is projected to produce at least 20 tonnes of medical oxygen daily, supplying roughly 300 healthcare facilities across Kenya, Uganda, and northern Tanzania. The initiative is also expected to reduce oxygen costs by up to 30%, making life-saving oxygen more accessible to both urban and rural healthcare providers.
The project has attracted support from a range of development partners, including the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), Finnfund, Grand Challenges Canada, and the UBS Optimus Foundation. These partnerships are critical in scaling up production and lowering costs, ultimately improving patient outcomes across the region.
Hewatele’s CEO stated, “This investment marks a major milestone for healthcare in East Africa. By producing high-quality medical oxygen locally, we aim to save lives, strengthen healthcare systems, and reduce dependence on expensive imports.”
The liquid oxygen facility is expected to begin operations in 2026, representing a landmark step in East Africa’s healthcare infrastructure development and setting a benchmark for public-private collaboration in tackling critical medical supply shortages.
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