Nairobi’s ICU capacity up from zero to 46 in three years

Governor Sakaja attributes the progress to bold health reforms and major hospital upgrades

by Tabnacha Odeny

Nairobi06 November 2025 - 13:25

In Summary

In three years, Nairobi’s public hospitals have added 46 ICU beds, transforming emergency care and reducing the burden on Kenyatta National Hospital.
The county is now expanding capacity at Mama Lucy, Mutuini, and Mama Margaret Uhuru hospitals.

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Nairobi County has made major strides in expanding critical care services, increasing its intensive care unit (ICU) capacity from zero to 46 beds in just three years.

Governor Johnson Sakaja said the development has eased pressure on Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), which previously handled the bulk of emergency and critical care cases for Nairobi residents.

Sakaja appeared before the Senate Committee on Health, where he outlined the progress made in strengthening the county’s health system.

He said county public hospitals now have ICU units that were previously unavailable, marking a significant shift in emergency response capability.

“Before I became governor, Nairobi had zero ICU capacity in public hospitals. 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,” Sakaja confirmed.

He noted that for many years KNH, which is run by the national government, was the only public hospital in the city with ICU services.

The completion of county-level units, he said, has helped distribute the workload and improve the county’s overall response to medical emergencies.

Sakaja attributed the improvements to a comprehensive review of the county’s health sector led by Dr. Mercy Mwangangi.

The review recommended changes to the administrative structures of Nairobi’s Level 5 hospitals, changes he said have already begun to yield results.

“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.

The governor also reported progress on stalled health projects, saying several facilities are now nearing completion. A new wing at Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital is set to add 120 beds by the end of the financial year.

The 400-bed Mutuini Hospital is also close to completion and is expected to further ease congestion in major hospitals.

“The opening of Mama Margaret Uhuru Hospital near Mama Lucy, and the near-completion of the 400-bed Mutuini Hospital, will help ease congestion in the county’s main health facilities and further improve access to quality healthcare for Nairobi residents,” he said.

Sakaja also highlighted the role of Community Health Promoters (CHPs), noting that their work has expanded access to healthcare across all 17 sub-counties.