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A state-of-the-art Level 4 hospital, constructed for the National Police Service (NPS) at a cost of Sh1.2 billion, remains a ghost facility years after its completion, a recent Senate report has revealed.
The fully equipped hospital, intended to provide crucial medical services to police officers and their families, is yet to open its doors, raising serious questions about accountability, resource wastage, and the welfare of the nation's security personnel.
The facility, located along Mbagathi Road in Nairobi, was commissioned in 2021 under the administration of former President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Its construction and equipping were finalised in the 2022/2023 financial year, according to the Auditor General.
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Kithure Kindiki and Aden Duale tour the National Police Level 4 Hospital in Nairobi on May 17, 2024
However, the modern medical machines, including ICU and HDU equipment, theatre, maternity, and radiography units, have been lying idle since their installation in 2022.
During an inspection tour in April 2025, the National Assembly Committee on Administration and Internal Security found a facility ready for service but entangled in delays.
The officer in charge, a Mr. Opil, informed the committee that pending issues with the contractor were a primary reason for the hospital's non-operational status.
He also revealed a significant outstanding balance of Sh833,628,135 from the total project cost.
The intended purpose of the hospital was to provide dedicated and specialised healthcare for police officers, many of whom face perilous situations in the line of duty.
Kithure Kindiki and Aden Duale tour the National Police Level 4 Hospital in Nairobi on May 17, 2024
Takeover by Ministry of Interior
At a handover ceremony in May 2024, the then-Interior Cabinet Secretary, Kithure Kindiki, lauded the project as a critical step in ensuring officers injured in the fight against terror and other organised crimes would have a dedicated treatment facility, rather than relying on private hospitals.
"We are grateful now that the families of our police officers have a place where they can get treated," he stated at the time, emphasising the collaborative effort with the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), who have more experience running medical facilities.
Equipment at the National Police Level 4 Hospital in Nairobi
Despite these grand ambitions, the hospital's inactivity has become a glaring issue.
The National Assembly Committee has since urged the NPS and the National Police Service Commission (NPSC) to upgrade the facility to a Level 5 hospital.
This would require the acquisition of an MRI machine, which would not only expand the services offered but also place the hospital under the national government's jurisdiction, easing access to funding from the National Treasury and positioning it as a referral hospital.
"As a committee, we are committed to securing the funds needed to make this hospital fully operational," said the committee's Vice Chairperson, Col. (Rtd.) Hon. Dido Rasso, during the April inspection.
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Equipment at the National Police Level 4 Hospital in Nairobi
Ministry of Health and NPS Push to Operationalise the Hospital
In a promising development, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale met with the Inspector General of the National Police Service, Douglas Kanja, on August 6, 2025, to map out a plan for the hospital's operationalisation.
The discussions focused on fast-tracking the opening, with CS Duale pledging his full support, including the provision of additional equipment through the National Equipment Services Programme (NESP).
While these recent high-level meetings signal a renewed push to get the hospital running, the prolonged delay has already had consequences.
The Sh1.2 billion investment has, for years, yielded no return in the form of improved healthcare for the men and women in uniform.
The situation raises critical questions for the public: Why has a project of such national importance been allowed to stall for so long? What are the specifics of the "pending issues" with the contractor, and why have they not been resolved?
READ ALSO: KNH conducts blood transfusion for baby while still in the mother's uterus
Equipment at the National Police Level 4 Hospital in Nairobi
And most importantly, when will the dedicated officers of the National Police Service and their families finally have access to the healthcare they were promised?
As the Ministry of Health and the NPS now work to untangle the bureaucratic knots, the nation watches, hoping that this symbol of stalled progress will soon become the beacon of specialised care it was always meant to be.