Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa announced on Thursday, 22 October, that the Kakamega County Teaching and Referral Hospital has reached 90 percent of its construction target.

The contractor, Plumbing Systems, confirmed that the site will be handed over to the county by 30 November, extending the original six‑month completion window set by the Kenya Defence Forces.

Barasa said President William Ruto is expected to commission the 750‑bed facility once equipment installation is finalised, indicating that construction alone will not trigger an official opening.

The hospital, classified as a Level VI tertiary referral centre, will feature 14 operating theatres, CT scanners, X‑ray machines and other specialised equipment.

The project, stalled in 2021 after the original contractor abandoned works, had already cost the county more than KSh 2.6 billion before oversight was transferred to the national government in July 2025.

Following the transfer, engineers from the Kenya Defence Forces assumed site supervision under the Ministry of Defence, while Plumbing Systems was appointed as the new contractor.

During a January inspection, Barasa disclosed that President Ruto had allocated KSh 1 billion to accelerate the hospital’s construction.

When completed, the Kakamega facility will join Kenya’s existing Level VI hospitals, such as Kenyatta National Hospital and Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, expanding tertiary care options in the region.