Othaya: The Mwai Kibaki Teaching and Referral Hospital in Othaya, Nyeri, is on track to becoming a fully operational Level VI facility, as confirmed by the hospital’s board chairman, Retired General Robert Kibochi. Speaking after hosting the National Assembly Standing Committee on Health for an inspection tour, General Kibochi stated that the facility is currently in its transition phase after being gazetted as a parastatal in September last year. The board is working to operationalize its first five-year strategic plan.
According to Kenya News Agency, the 350-bed capacity hospital was gazetted as an autonomous parastatal with its own board of management and independent budget on September 20, 2024. Upon gazettement, the Head of State, Dr. William Ruto, remarked that the elevation of the hospital would enhance its capacity to serve as a crucial health facility in Nyeri County and surrounding regions, while also creating new opportunities for medical professionals.
The facility offers specialized treatment in areas such as cardiology, neurology, urology, oral and maxillofacial surgery, oncology, trauma, and orthopedic surgery. The hospital is mandated to receive patients on a referral basis for specialized treatment but also serves as the first point of treatment during emergencies.
Additionally, the Mwai Kibaki Referral Hospital is expected to facilitate training for health and allied professions, conduct research to inform planning by the health ministry, support medical innovation, and inform policy decisions in the healthcare sector. Besides Nyeri, the facility serves residents of Embu, Isiolo, Kirinyaga, Laikipia, Meru, Nyandarua, Samburu, and Tharaka-Nithi counties. Since its launch in 2019, it has contributed to decongesting the Kenyatta National Hospital, the country’s oldest referral hospital.
The board chair noted that the facility has already improved healthcare provision in the Mount Kenya region and that its elevation to an autonomous government agency will contribute to the government’s goal of attaining Universal Health Coverage. The visit follows President Dr. Ruto’s directive on April 6 of this year, during a development tour in Othaya, to have the facility’s progress regularly monitored.
The team, led by the vice-chairperson of the health committee, Patrick Munene (Chuka/Igambang’ombe), included Pauline Lenguris (Samburu), Mary Maingi (Mwea), Martin Wanyonyi (Webuye East), and Othaya Member of Parliament Wambugu Wainaina. Munene emphasized the hospital’s significance in improving access to specialized healthcare services for residents in the region and beyond. He also acknowledged the human resources and equipment shortage affecting the six-year-old facility and pledged the government’s support in addressing these issues.