President William Ruto has signed a new healthcare partnership with Italy and GKSD Group that will see 15 new hospitals built across 15 counties.
The agreement was signed at State House, Nairobi, on Tuesday, September 8, 2026.
Under the deal, Kenya will get 13 Level 5 county referral hospitals and two Level 6 national teaching and referral hospitals.
Ruto said the investment will help address Kenya’s shortage of hospital beds and improve access to specialised medical services.
“Kenya currently has 12 hospital beds per 10,000 people against the World Health Organisation benchmark of 25,” the President said.
He said the new facilities would expand hospital capacity and bring specialised healthcare services closer to communities.
“These new facilities will significantly expand our hospital capacity, bring specialised medical services closer to communities, and accelerate our journey towards Universal Health Coverage,” Ruto said.
The two Level 6 hospitals will be established in Mombasa and Uasin Gishu counties.
The Mombasa facility will be the Mombasa National Teaching and Referral Hospital in Jomvu, while the Uasin Gishu project will be linked to the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret.
The remaining 13 facilities will be Level 5 county referral hospitals aimed at strengthening specialised care at the county level.
The partnership is being implemented under Italy’s Mattei Plan for Africa, which seeks to deepen strategic cooperation between Italy and African countries in key sectors, including healthcare.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale signed the agreement on behalf of Kenya during the State House ceremony attended by Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, Italian officials, GKSD Group Chairman Kamel Ghribi and several governors.
The latest agreement builds on earlier discussions between Kenya and Italy on upgrading hospitals and expanding specialised healthcare services.
In April 2026, Ruto said Italy would support Kenya in upgrading hospitals from Level 4 to Level 5 and Level 5 to Level 6 in 15 counties.
The government expects the new facilities to strengthen Kenya’s referral system and reduce pressure on major national referral hospitals, particularly those in Nairobi.
Ruto said the projects would help accelerate the government’s push to achieve Universal Health Coverage and improve access to quality healthcare across the country.
