Kenya's healthcare system is structured into six tiers, with Level 6 hospitals sitting at the top. These national teaching and referral hospitals handle the most complex and specialist cases. The largest of these facilities is Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi, boasting a bed capacity of 1,800, making it the biggest hospital in both Kenya and East Africa.
There are ten accredited Level 6 hospitals in Kenya, ranked from largest to smallest by bed capacity. The runner-up by size is Nakuru Level 6 Hospital, with 1,129 inpatient beds, recently upgraded from a county referral facility. Bed capacity across these hospitals ranges from 1,800 beds at Kenyatta National Hospital down to 35 beds at the National Spinal Injury Referral Hospital, a specialist facility.
Two private hospitals hold Level 6 status: The Karen Hospital in Nairobi and Mediheal Hospital & Fertility Centre in Eldoret. The majority of Level 6 hospitals, five out of ten, are located in Nairobi County. Rankings are based on verified inpatient bed capacity figures drawn from the Kenya Master Health Facility Registry, official hospital websites, and the Wikipedia list of hospitals in Kenya.
Level 6 hospitals in Kenya are national referral hospitals and large private teaching or faith-based hospitals. The table of Level 6 hospitals includes their location, county, ownership, and bed capacity. Kenyatta National Hospital, located in Upper Hill, Nairobi, is a public hospital with 1,800 beds.
Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret has 1,000 beds and is a public hospital. Mathari National Teaching and Referral Hospital in Mathare, Nairobi, has 700 beds. Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral & Research Hospital and Kisii Teaching and Referral Hospital both have 650 beds.
The National Spinal Injury Referral Hospital, located in Kilimani, Nairobi, has the smallest bed count of any Level 6 hospital, with 35 beds. Despite its small size, it carries full national referral status due to the unique complexity of its services. Its core mandate is to rehabilitate spinal injury patients referred from both public and private institutions across the country and from neighbouring countries.
Mediheal Hospital & Fertility Centre, located in Eldoret, is a private hospital with 90 beds. The Karen Hospital, located in Karen, Nairobi, is a private hospital with 102 beds. Mwai Kibaki Hospital – KNH Othaya Annex, located in Othaya, Nyeri County, has 350 beds and serves as a centre of excellence offering specialised inpatient and outpatient healthcare services.
Key points
- Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi is Kenya's largest Level 6 hospital, with 1,800 beds.
- Two private hospitals, The Karen Hospital and Mediheal Hospital & Fertility Centre, hold Level 6 status.
- The majority of Level 6 hospitals, five out of ten, are located in Nairobi County.
