Healthcare / Medical
"KNH: Leading national referral, teaching, and research hospital since 1901."
Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) recently marked its 115th anniversary, with its Centenary Celebration held in 2001. Originally established in 1901 as a 40-bed facility, KNH was designed to serve as a National Referral and Teaching Hospital, fostering an environment for medical research.
Since its establishment as a State Corporation in 1987, KNH has been governed by a Board of Management and stands at the top of Kenya’s health sector referral system. The hospital spans 45.7 hectares and houses the College of Health Sciences (University of Nairobi), the Kenya Medical Training College, the Kenya Medical Research Institute, and the National Laboratory Service (Ministry of Health).
KNH features 50 wards, 22 outpatient clinics, 24 operating theaters (16 of which are specialized), and an Accident & Emergency Department. Of its total bed capacity of 1,800, 209 beds are dedicated to the Private Wing.
As Kenya’s oldest hospital, Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi was founded in 1901 as the Native Civil Hospital with an initial capacity of 40 beds. It was later renamed King George VI Hospital in 1952, serving the settler community alongside the nearby European Hospital (now Nairobi Hospital). Following Kenya’s independence from British rule, the hospital was renamed in honor of Jomo Kenyatta. Today, it remains the country’s largest referral and teaching hospital.
With a capacity of 1,800 beds and a workforce exceeding 6,000 staff, Kenyatta National Hospital covers 45.7 hectares. The campus is home to the University of Nairobi Medical School and several government agencies.
