NAIROBI,Kenya June 22 – The government has stepped up efforts to expand healthcare infrastructure across the country following the groundbreaking of a new 150-bed hospital block at Mariany Level 4 Hospital in Siaya County, a project expected to significantly improve access to medical services for thousands of residents in the region.
The ceremony was presided over by Principal Secretary for Medical Services PS Ouma Oluga and Principal Secretary for Defence Peter Mariru, who described the facility as part of the government’s broader plan to strengthen healthcare systems and support the realization of Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
The new hospital block is expected to increase inpatient capacity, ease pressure on existing facilities and bring specialized services closer to communities that have long relied on referrals to larger hospitals in Kisumu and other urban centres.
Speaking during the event, the two principal secretaries said the project fulfills a commitment made by President William Ruto to improve healthcare infrastructure and ensure more Kenyans can access quality and affordable medical care regardless of their location.
The development comes as the government continues to invest heavily in health infrastructure under ongoing reforms aimed at expanding healthcare access through the Social Health Authority (SHA) and strengthening county-level facilities.
According to the Ministry of Health, more than 29 million Kenyans have been enrolled under SHA, while over 10,000 health facilities are currently transacting under the scheme as the government pushes toward universal health coverage.
Health sector reforms have also focused on upgrading Level 4 and Level 5 hospitals to reduce congestion at referral facilities and bring specialized services closer to communities. The Ministry of Health has said functional Level 4 and Level 5 hospitals have been established across all 47 counties as part of efforts to improve equity in healthcare access.
The Mariany project is the latest in a series of health infrastructure investments involving collaboration between the national government, county governments and the Kenya Defence Forces. Last year, the Ministry of Defence partnered with the Siaya County Government and the Ministry of Health in the upgrading of Siaya Referral Hospital, a project officials said would transform healthcare delivery in the county and the wider Nyanza region.
PS Oluga said the expansion of healthcare infrastructure remains critical to improving patient outcomes, reducing referral costs and ensuring residents can access quality treatment within their localities.
The project also aligns with ongoing national investments in health facilities, including the construction of specialized hospitals and expansion of bed capacity across the country. In recent months, the government has operationalized a 150-bed Level 4 hospital in Ruiru and continued construction of a 4,000-bed multi-specialty hospital at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret.
Residents and local leaders welcomed the Mariany hospital expansion, saying it would help address longstanding challenges of overcrowding and limited inpatient services in the area.
Once completed, the new facility is expected to strengthen emergency response, maternal and child health services, surgical care and general inpatient treatment, reducing the need for patients to travel long distances in search of specialized healthcare.
