Construction of the mega 550-bed capacity Nyandarua referral hospital has dragged on, nearly five years after the project was launched.
The construction of the referral hospital which is to be named Mashujaa Complex is being undertaken at the JM Kariuki Memorial County Hospital in Ol Kalou, Nyandarua County. The project was launched by the former Nyandarua County Governor Francis Kimemia in June 2021.
At the time, it was estimated that the whole project would cost upwards of Sh1.4 billion. Prior to the 2022 General Elections in which Kimemia was replaced by current Governor Kiarie Badilisha, the project was estimated to have a 50 percent to 70 percent completion rate. Badilisha had won the Nyandarua gubernatorial seat on a landslide.
However, since then, construction at the site has dragged on, and at times ground to a complete stop, raising fears that the current Governor may not be able to actualize what was once billed as the largest health project in the county.
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Although the project was being funded by the county government, in January 2025, Governor Badilisha made an appeal for funds to the national government. He claimed that the county had spent Sh1 billion on the construction of the hospital and was running short on funds. He further claimed that the projected total cost of the project exceeded Sh1.5 billion.
“The JM Mashujaa structural works are almost complete and the remaining works – which include the installation of medical glasses, theatres, and mechanical works – are the biggest task now,” said Governor Kiarie.
“We are appealing to the national government or any other donors to facilitate us with Sh500 million to complete the facility.” However, it was not clear how much money his own administration had pumped into the project, and how much money the previous administration had injected.
The mega facility is expected to contain a 144-bed mother and child unit, an additional intensive care unit (ICU) with 12 fully equipped beds, a 10-bed High Dependency Unit (HDU), 3 operating theatres, and a 48-bed casualty ward. The current JM Kariuki Memorial County Hospital has a 142-beds capacity only and 42 cots.
As construction of the new hospital drags on, the big question on many area residents is on whether the current Governor will rise above petty politics, and complete a significant project that was initiated by his predecessor.
