Hospitals Upgrade ICU Units to Boost Capacity

Kenyan hospitals are significantly expanding their critical-care capacity by upgrading and commissioning new Intensive Care Units (ICUs) and High Dependency Units (HDUs), in a bid to improve emergency response and reduce burden on already overstretched referral centres. In Nairobi County, Governor Johnson Sakaja announced that the county has added 46 ICU beds in the past three years, a remarkable increase from having no public ICU units three years ago. These beds are distributed across several hospitals: 18 at Mama Lucy Kibaki, 10 at Mama Margaret Uhuru, 8 at Mbagathi, plus additional neonatal ICU beds.
On the coast, Malindi Hospital has launched an eight-bed ICU and HDU block, constructed under a Sh 140 million Kenya‑Italy partnership. This facility is expected to handle critical cases locally, reducing the need for patients to travel long distances to access lifesaving care, especially for counties like Kilifi, Tana River, and Lamu.
In Lamu County, the King Fahd Referral Hospital has opened its first major ICU unit, outfitted with three adult beds and two pediatric beds, marking a major step forward in reducing patient referrals to Mombasa or other far-off hospitals.
Meanwhile, in Turkana County, Governor Josphat Nanok officially opened a new ICU and HDU wing at Lodwar County Referral Hospital. The 3‑bed ICU has three ventilators, with plans to expand to 13 beds within three weeks, according to the governor.
These upgrades are complemented by improved financing for critical care: the Ministry of Health has increased the Social Health Authority (SHA) daily coverage for ICU/HDU services from KSh 4,600 to KSh 28,000, easing the financial burden on patients requiring intensive care.
Health officials view these expansions as key to strengthening Kenya’s health system under its Universal Health Coverage (UHC) agenda. By increasing ICU availability across counties, they aim to ensure that critically ill patients—regardless of their location—can access life-saving care closer to home.