President William Ruto has announced major progress on the Mwai Kibaki Teaching and Referral Hospital, saying the government has taken decisive steps to complete and operationalise the facility.

Ruto spoke during a church service at ACK St Paul’s Church in Kariki, Othaya Constituency, Nyeri County, on Sunday, January 11, 2026. Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga and other regional leaders attended the service.

Ruto said leaders from the Mt. Kenya region recently met him and raised concerns about the hospital’s long delay and its management structure. He said they agreed the facility should no longer operate under Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH).

“When these leaders visited me, we agreed that the Mwai Kibaki hospital should not continue under Kenyatta,” Ruto told the congregation.

Following that agreement, the government moved quickly. It formed a board to oversee the facility and gazetted the hospital as an independent institution. Authorities also upgraded it to Level VI status, placing it among the country’s top referral hospitals.

Ruto said the government appointed retired General Robert Kibochi to help manage the transition and provide leadership as the hospital moves towards full operations.

The president confirmed that the government has set aside Ksh500 million to support the project. He said the design work is complete, and contractors will soon move to the site to begin construction and upgrades.

“We have established Mwai Kibaki Referral Hospital in Othaya, Nyeri County, as an independent national medical facility, and injected KSh500 million to upgrade it to better serve the people of the region,” Ruto posted on his Facebook account.

Hospital set for upgrade

The hospital, located in Othaya, has a long and troubled history. Construction started in 2010, with an initial budget of about one billion shillings. However, the project stalled for years due to funding and administrative challenges.

Authorities eventually opened the facility in 2019 and placed it under KNH as an annex. After the death of former President Mwai Kibaki in April 2022, leaders renamed the hospital in his honour.

In September 2024, Ruto announced plans to delink the hospital from KNH and give it full autonomy. He said gazetting it as a parastatal with its own board and budget would improve decision-making and service delivery.

The upgrade supports the government’s Universal Health Coverage agenda. Beyond treatment, the facility will train health workers, support medical research and promote innovation in healthcare.