Joseph Ogutu, chair of the Safaricom Foundation, addressed the launch of the Amref Health Innovation Hub on 18 October 2026, urging innovators to target clear community health needs rather than creating technology for its own sake.

He pointed to M‑PESA’s journey from a simple peer‑to‑peer money‑transfer service introduced in 2007 to a broad financial platform that now supports bill payments, school‑fee transfers and bank‑account linking, illustrating how a solution built around a specific need can expand over time.

Ogutu highlighted two lessons for health innovators: first, solutions must address an identified, felt need; second, partnerships are essential for scaling beyond the original design.

He noted that M‑PESA’s growth was driven by collaborations with other organisations and service providers, urging the hub’s leadership to adopt similar co‑creation models.

Beyond partnerships, Ogutu stressed that scaling health innovations requires trust, reliable infrastructure and systems that ensure solutions reach the intended users, and called for a culture of innovation throughout organisations.

The hub, launched under the Africa Health Collaborative Convening 2026, aims to create roughly 10,000 decent jobs for African youth and frontline health workers over the next five years, according to the event briefing.

While congratulating Amref International University and Amref Health Africa for establishing the hub, Ogutu warned that setting up the facility is only the first step; sustained commitment beyond immediate returns is needed for lasting impact.

He concluded by urging innovators to view the hub as more than a physical space – it should serve as a platform for developing, supporting and translating practical health solutions into measurable improvements across Africa.