At Villgro Africa, we invest in innovations that bridge the gap between healthcare and accessibility. One of our portfolio companies, BenaCare, is redefining what it means to deliver life-saving treatment (in their case, renal care) to underserved populations.
For thousands of patients living with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) in Murang’a County, dialysis has been a painful double burden, financial and logistical. Many travel long distances for treatment, often arriving late, missing critical sessions, or being turned away. Beyond the physical toll, the economic cost to families has been devastating.
BenaCare launched Renal Roads, a first-of-its-kind mobile dialysis initiative in Murang’a County. With a state-of-the-art mobile dialysis unit, services will now come directly to mapped community locations. Each day, the unit will conduct up to six dialysis sessions (maximum four hours each), drastically reducing the need for costly travel while increasing adherence to life-saving treatment.
BenaCare’s innovation demonstrates how locally driven solutions can scale through strategic public sector integration. By partnering with the Murang’a County Government, Renal Roads is laying the groundwork for a replicable public-private model that could be deployed across other counties in Kenya and beyond.
From a Million Lives Collective (MLC) perspective, this project embodies the type of solution that can reach millions of people when anchored in government health systems. The mobile dialysis unit is not just a technical innovation; it is a scaling pathway. One that proves community-rooted entrepreneurs can complement and extend public health delivery, ultimately multiplying impact.
Villgro Africa’s support for BenaCare reflects our mission: to back entrepreneurs who turn bold ideas into scalable healthcare solutions. This initiative demonstrates how strategic investment in healthtech can directly shift outcomes at the community level, moving from hospitals as the only access points to care being delivered where people live.
On 22nd February 2025, when Renal Roads officially launched, it was more than a project kick-off; marking a paradigm shift in how Africa can rethink healthcare delivery. Community-first, innovative, and scalable through public-sector partnerships.
“I think everyone needs to know that whatever we have done with Murang’a County is not just a one-time pilot, but a replicable model, a blueprint for other county governments or governments. To come and see how governments can work effectively with innovators and actually have long lasting impact in the communities with every side being comfortable working.” — Naom Monari
From Murang’a county on the partnership, “Yes, the partnership has been fruitful. One we have the track and who is the beneficiary? The community. We have a training program now that is going on. Our Community Health Promoters are getting trained through Benacare, who would not have wanted that outcome? Also, you’ve created job even for the local people. And after all this, the agreement is that the program will be left in the county. I don’t think we can ask for more.”