It took 20 years of saving up to build our business

Dr Betty Gikonyo and her husband Dr Dan Gikonyo founded Karen Hospital, a 102-bed multi-speciality hospital, in 2006. The dream to run a hospital was 20 plus years in the making. “We started with a clinic in Tusker House in the Nairobi Central Business District before moving to Kimathi House, then Reinsurance Plaza before going for further training in the United States. During that process of running a clinic, we started having big ideas, asking What If?” says Dr Gikonyo when we meet for this interview. In the US, they saw what was possible: high-quality healthcare in private healthcare facilities that were funding themselves. They set out to do the same. Today, Karen Hospital has 500 permanent staff, eight branches and a medical training college. But as Dr Gikonyo reiterates, they have had their ups and downs throughout the years and the experience has made her an astute businesswoman. Dr Betty Gikonyo answers common business questions and offers tips for common struggles that entrepreneurs encounter.