The Government of Kenya will construct a new referral hospital in Eldoret at a cost of US$ 563m.
200 acres of land have already been set aside for the construction project near the Eldoret’s GK prison. Construction works on the new referral hospital are expected to commence next year according to the Kenya’s Deputy President William Ruto, with the said land already fenced in preparation for construction works. The funds required will be made available through partners who wish to be part of the project.
This is a move to decongest the existing Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital that also caters for patients in the Western region of Kenya, Eastern Uganda and Southern Sudan. It is the largest referral hospital after Kenyatta National Hospital, Kenya, and found in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County.
Initially, the Government had intended to expand the current Eldoret referral hospital to cater for the growing number of patients at a cost of US$ 191m. In this plan, government was to construct a second outpatient wing with a 1000-bed capacity.
Once complete, the new referral hospital is expected to be among the largest in East and Central Africa. The Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital will later on be handed over to the county Government of Uasin Gishu as part of the devolution process.
The concept of devolution is embedded in the country’s constitution where economic and political powers are to be devolved to all the 47 new created counties.
