Our work in Kenya

Kenya’s leading cause of sight loss is cataracts, while diseases such as trachoma also play a part. Our work in the country focuses on improving eye care and preventing eye disease.

When Sightsavers started working in Kenya in 1952, our focus was to eliminate avoidable blindness and provide rehabilitation for adults who were irreversibly blind.

Today, we’re continuing this work by improving local health services, training doctors and eye surgeons, and making sure eye care is available for everyone.

We’re also working to eliminate several neglected tropical diseases in Kenya: we distribute medication to help control the spread of blinding trachoma, and educate local communities about the importance of hygiene and cleanliness to prevent diseases spreading.

Finally, our inclusive education programmes in Kenya aim to make sure children with disabilities are able to go to school. We raise awareness in communities about disability rights, and train teachers so they have the specialist skills needed to teach children with disabilities.

I worried I would go completely blind. But after my surgery, I can see! I’m full of joy and I’m so grateful to everyone.

Sumburia, cataract patient

How we’re making a difference in Kenya

Boy is held by his mother, he has a face washing guide in his hand.

Raising awareness

Our Super School of 5 project, in northern Kenya, features superhero characters to encourage children to wash their hands and faces.
Read about the project

Flash sits at his desk in a wheelchair in school, surrounded by his classmates as they listen to their teacher.

Inclusive education

Flash Odiwuor, a 13-year-old from Kenya, caught polio and lost the use of his legs. But a Sightsavers project enabled him to return to school.
Read Flash’s story

Protecting sight

We train eye health workers and help to improve local healthcare services in Kenya to make sure no one goes blind from avoidable causes.
Read about our work

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More from Kenya

The Tropical Data team working on trachoma surveys in Arusha in 2019.

Blogs / Fighting disease /

We speak to Tropical Data’s data analyst, Sarah Boyd, to find out what she and the team have been working on while travel hasn’t been possible and many of us have been advised to stay at home.

Sightsavers, August 2020

A boy washes his face at a well in Turkana, Kenya. Good hygiene is key to reducing the incidence of Trachoma and other eye conditions.

Blogs / Fighting disease /

For World Water Week 2020, Sightsavers comes together with the Kenyan ministry of health to advocate for stronger partnerships between WASH and NTD sectors.

Samuel Eshitemi Omukuba and Dr Sultani Hadley Matendechero, August 2020

From the field /

A young boy has his sight restored in Nigeria, plus news from Kenya, Pakistan, Tanzania and Ghana.

July 2020

A young man using a wheelchair on a road in Kenya.

Blogs / Disability rights /

Many people with disabilities work in the informal sector. Unless they can leave their house every day, they struggle to meet their basic needs. For them, the situation is dire.

Edwinah Orowe, June 2020

Rebecca stands with her arms folded outside her accommodation in the Kenyan refugee camp

Stories / Fighting disease /

Rebecca from South Sudan, who has advanced trachoma, has been living in a refugee camp in northern Kenya, since 2013.

Stories / Disability rights /

Disability activist Collins Ombajo shares his personal story, his work in advocacy and what drives him to be involved in the Inclusive Futures programme.

Community health volunteers stand outside in Nachuru, Turkana, Kenya.

News / Eye health /

A short film about trachoma trackers in Kenya beat more than 1,200 submissions to reach the top 15 for its category in a prestigious, international contest.

May 2020

Stories / Eye health /

As we thank all our health workers on World Health Day, meet six who have worked with Sightsavers to help improve eye care for people in their communities.

two volunteers ride motorbikes on a dirt road.

From the field /

Illustrations are helping researchers understand NTDs in Nigeria, plus news from Mozambique, Pakistan, India and the UK.

March 2020

A surgeon dressed in scrubs prepares for theatre

Stories / Fighting disease /

A decade ago, Turkana had the highest prevalence of trachoma of any county. Now thanks to eye health workers like Elizabeth, the number of cases have been severely reduced.

A woman dressed in traditional clothing poses for the camera. she is blind in her left eye.

Stories / Fighting disease /

Ekeno was experiencing terrible pain in her eyes, until her neighbour, Sightsavers-trained community worker Susan, was able to get her the help she needed.

A young boy stands outside in the sun wearing light coloured clothes. There is a small house to the left and a tree to the right.

News / Fighting disease /

Our sight-saving work in rural Kenya was featured in BBC coverage for World NTD Day 2020.

January 2020

We save sight in 30 countries worldwide

Where we work

We work to eliminate avoidable blindness and promote the rights of people with disabilities.

Find out how your support can make a huge difference and change lives.

Our work in Kenya

Kenya’s leading cause of sight loss is cataracts, while diseases such as trachoma also play a part. Our work in the country focuses on improving eye care and preventing eye disease.

When Sightsavers started working in Kenya in 1952, our focus was to eliminate avoidable blindness and provide rehabilitation for adults who were irreversibly blind.