Hospitals Expand ICU Capacity to Handle Critical Cases

Hospitals across Kenya are significantly increasing their intensive care capacity to better manage critically ill patients, reflecting a national push to strengthen critical care infrastructure. In Nairobi, Governor Johnson Sakaja announced that the county’s ICU bed capacity has risen from zero to 46 beds over the past three years, with new units operational at Mama Lucy Kibaki, Mama Margaret Uhuru, and Mbagathi hospitals.
On the coast, Malindi Hospital has commissioned a new ICU and High Dependency Unit (HDU) block with eight beds, built with funding from both the Kenyan and Italian governments to reduce life‑threatening referrals. In Lamu County, King Fahd Hospital has opened its first-ever ICU, adding three adult and two pediatric beds.
In Turkana County, Governor Josphat Nanok inaugurated a new ICU/HDU wing at Lodwar County Referral Hospital, equipped with three ventilators and initially three ICU beds; the plan is to expand them to 13 beds within weeks. Meanwhile, Kwale County has started construction of an ICU and renal unit at Kinango Sub‑County Hospital, aiming to offer critical and kidney care closer to underserved communities.
Supporting these infrastructure upgrades, the Ministry of Health has distributed new oxygen equipment to hospitals across all 47 counties—including wall‑outlet flowmeters, oxygen analyzers, and patient monitors—to ensure that critical-care units are better equipped to treat patients in respiratory distress.