NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 7 – Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has outlined a series of rapid health-sector reforms aimed at easing mounting pressure on the capital’s public hospitals, as the city’s fast-growing population continues to strain limited medical facilities.
Appearing before the Senate Committee on Health on Thursday, Sakaja said the county has expanded its intensive care capacity from zero to 46 ICU beds in three years — a milestone he said has reduced the city’s heavy dependence on Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), which previously handled nearly all critical cases from Nairobi.
“Before I became Governor, Nairobi had zero ICU capacity in public hospitals,” Sakaja told senators.
“Today, we have 18 ICU beds at Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital, 10 at Mama Margaret Uhuru Hospital, and 8 at Mbagathi Hospital, along with new neonatal ICU units. Ten more ICU beds are nearing completion at Mutuini Hospital, which is now 90 percent done.”
Nairobi’s health infrastructure has long lagged behind its swelling population — estimated by Sakaja at seven million residents — leaving hospitals overcrowded, under-resourced, and struggling to meet emergency and primary care needs.
The governor said a comprehensive review of the health sector, led by former Health CAS Mercy Mwangangi, prompted a restructuring of management systems in the city’s Level 5 hospitals. He described the move as key to improving accountability and patient flow.
“We changed the management structure of our major hospitals after implementing the committee’s recommendations. It’s a significant step forward, though with a population of seven million, much more still needs to be done,” he said.
Sakaja also reported progress on long-stalled infrastructure projects. A new wing at Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital — expected to add 120 beds — is set for completion by the end of the financial year. Meanwhile, the 400-bed Mutuini Hospital is nearing completion, and Mama Margaret Uhuru Hospital has begun easing pressure in the densely populated eastern parts of the city.
The governor further highlighted the growing role of Community Health Promoters (CHPs) in early disease detection and prevention, particularly in informal settlements where most health emergencies originate at the household level.
However, senators pressed the county to confirm whether the expanded bed capacity is being matched by adequate staffing, sustainable drug supply chains, and fully functional equipment — persistent weak points that have repeatedly undermined Nairobi’s public health services.
