Duale says Sh50b new referral hospital in Eldoret will be manned by KDF

Uasin Gishu Governor Jonathan Bii, MP Gladys Boss Shollei, CS Aden Duale, Senator Jackson Mandago and other officials view the map during the ground-breaking of Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital Multi-Specialty Hospital at Kiplombe Farm on November 17, 2025. [Peter Ochieng, Standard]

The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) will supervise the construction of a new Sh50 billion Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH), which has been touted as the country’s largest health facility.

The 4,000-bed multi-speciality hospital whose construction on a 200-acre land in Kiplombe, Eldoret was launched yesterday, surpasses the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) in capacity.

According to the Ministry of Health, construction works of phase 1, which seeks to deliver a 2,000-bed capacity facility, will take 18 months.

Under the expanded facility, 600 new health workers, including specialists will perform organ transplants and surgical operations that are currently unavailable in the country, the ministry pledged.

The project will gobble a whopping Sh25 billion in the first phase, which was expected to kick off in 2014.

“KDF will do their work through their engineers and their architects. The military has proved that they can complete projects within timelines because they operate under command and orders. They have been ordered by the commander-in-chief to complete the hospital project in 18 months,” Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said.

Duale said the military was under instructions to ensure that a Chinese contractor hands over the project to his ministry by April 2027.

Duale said upon completion, the new MTRH will be the biggest referral and training facility in East and Central Africa.

He said the new MTRH will be the region's referral and research centre for chronic disease including hypertension, kidney illnesses and cancer among others.

“The groundbreaking of the biggest referral is the culmination of the government’s commitment to ensure that the legacy project comes to fruition despite the many hurdles in the past,” Duale said during the groundbreaking event yesterday.

The CS said the new national and regional referral facility will meet the increasing demand for health training and research, and is set to incorporate Moi University’s School of Health Sciences, University of Eldoret’s science department, Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) and Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI).

“Once completed, the hospital will be a model of integrated care providing advanced treatment in radiology, oncology, trauma, transplantation, rehabilitation and reproductive health among others. This hospital is part of the strategy to expand the tertiary and specialist capacity for a rising demand both in Kenya and in our region,” Duale said.

He added: “This project was envisioned in 2014 and was expected to start in 2017 but it was delayed by political intrigues.”

Duale further said that the new hospital will be among legacy projects that President William Ruto seeks to present before Kenyans as he seeks re-election in 2027.

He said procurement of modern equipment for the new facility will begin months from yesterday.

Defence Principal Secretary Patrick Mariru assured health stakeholders that the project will be completed within the stipulated time.

“The military will be stationed at the project site and will be working day and night. They will also be updating the ministry daily on the progress of the health facility,” Dr Mariru said.

Roads leading to the new facility including two diversions along Eldoret-Soy and a transport infrastructure off Eldoret-Uganda and Eldoret-Iten will be upgraded to ease movement into and out of the new referral hospital, Duale and Mariru promised.