The Cabinet has endorsed a major hospital infrastructure programme that will see the construction of a new 2,000-bed Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, a 1,000-bed Level Six hospital in Mombasa and the expansion of 13 Level Five hospitals across the country.
The programme is aimed at expanding access to specialised treatment, strengthening referral services and accelerating the delivery of Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
According to the Cabinet News brief dated October 9, 2026, the expansion of existing Level Five hospitals will add 300 beds to each facility, significantly increasing their capacity to accommodate patients.
The 13 counties targeted for the expansion are Mandera, Marsabit, Turkana, Kilifi, Embu, Nakuru, Laikipia, Migori, Nyamira, Baringo, Bomet, Narok and Kisii.
The government said the investment would help ease pressure on referral hospitals while bringing specialised healthcare services closer to communities across the country.
The new facilities and expanded hospitals are expected to increase the number of beds available for patients requiring treatment, although the Cabinet brief did not provide a timeline for construction or indicate the total cost of the infrastructure programme.
The announcement comes alongside a separate Sh8 billion healthcare initiative to be implemented in partnership with France, focusing on specialised head and neck surgical services.
The programme, also endorsed by Cabinet, will establish and equip specialised head and neck surgical units at Kenyatta National Hospital, Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital and the University of Nairobi Dental Hospital.
The investment is expected to strengthen the country’s capacity to manage complex medical conditions, including cancers affecting the head and neck.
The Cabinet brief said the initiative would “strengthen cancer treatment and train 5,000 community health workers, reinforcing Kenya’s Universal Health Coverage efforts.”
The training component will target 5,000 community health workers, adding to efforts to strengthen healthcare delivery at the community level.
Community health workers play a role in connecting households to formal health services, making their training an important component of the broader programme to improve access to care.
The two initiatives reflect the government’s focus on expanding physical healthcare infrastructure while improving specialised treatment and strengthening community-level services.
The proposed 2,000-bed Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital will be a major component of the infrastructure programme, alongside the planned 1,000-bed Level Six facility in Mombasa.
The expansion of the 13 Level Five hospitals is also intended to increase capacity in counties where additional beds could help address demand for inpatient services.
The government said the overall investment would “significantly expand hospital capacity, reduce congestion at referral facilities and bring specialised healthcare closer to Kenyans.”
However, the Cabinet brief did not disclose the estimated cost of the new Moi hospital, the Mombasa facility or the expansion of the 13 county hospitals.
It also did not specify when construction would begin, when the facilities would be completed or how the projects would be financed.
Details on the implementation schedule for the Sh8 billion partnership with France were not provided in the brief.
The projects are expected to support Kenya’s Universal Health Coverage agenda by increasing hospital capacity, improving access to specialised services and strengthening the country’s ability to provide cancer treatment.
Their implementation will determine how quickly the planned infrastructure and specialised medical units translate into improved access to healthcare for patients across the country.