Nairobi’s public health system has undergone a major transformation over the past four years, with 224 newborn care units added and 23 new neonatal ICUs established across county health facilities, this is according to Governor Johnson Sakaja.

“Over the last four years, we have added 224 newborn units, 23 neonatal ICUs and 20 adult ICUs across Nairobi. Facilities that previously lacked the capacity to safely handle complicated births can now deliver babies and provide specialised care. This is the healthy transformation of our public health system that we promised Nairobi,” Sakaja said

Speaking on the transformation of Nairobi’s healthcare system, Sakaja cited Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital, Mama Margaret Uhuru Hospital and Mbagathi Hospital, among others, as facilities that have received new neonatal intensive care capacity. He noted that Nairobi’s county facilities previously had no ICU capacity.

The expansion has also included maternity theatres and Caesarean-section services in facilities across the city. Sakaja pointed to Mathare North, which has performed 65 Caesarean sections since November, despite being a relatively small facility. Other facilities benefiting from expanded maternity services include Riruta, Pumwani-Malenga, Kasarani and Ruai.

“From Mama Lucy, Mama Margaret Uhuru and Mbagathi to Mathare North, Riruta, Pumwani-Malenga, Kasarani and Ruai, we are bringing specialised maternity services closer to our people,” Sakaja said.

The transformation is also extending to renal care. Sakaja said the expanded renal unit at Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital attended to 113 patients in August alone, providing a critical service that many patients would previously have had to seek elsewhere at significantly higher cost.

He noted that these services are also covered under the Social Health Authority (SHA), helping reduce the financial burden on patients and expanding access to specialised care within Nairobi’s public health system.

“Our expanded renal unit at Mama Lucy alone attended to 113 patients in August, with these services covered under SHA. Patients who previously had to seek care elsewhere at high cost can now receive it in our own county facilities,” Sakaja said.

For the county government, the expansion represents a shift from basic healthcare provision towards a system with greater capacity to handle high-risk pregnancies, premature and critically ill newborns, specialised maternity procedures and chronic conditions such as kidney disease.

From new neonatal ICUs and adult intensive-care units to maternity theatres and expanded renal services, the county says the investments are aimed at ensuring Nairobi residents can access specialised care closer to home without having to travel or incur prohibitive costs for services that were previously unavailable in county facilities.