Kenya's biggest hospitals have rich history, ties to colonial leadership

The health of Africans in the colonial era was not given much attention. It only became an issue if an epidemic broke out. Africans relied on 'native hospitals', and the personnel underwent a three-month course before deployment. They only treated out-patient cases and referred serious cases to dispensaries.

Dispensaries offered inpatient and outpatient services and were led by an indigenous Kenyan known as a 'medical resident assistant'. A European Medical Officer (MO) would make regular scheduled visits to these dispensaries.