By Robert Mutasi 
Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) in Eldoret is among Kenya’s leading Level 6 hospitals, placing Uasin Gishu at the centre of the country’s specialised public healthcare network.
The hospital is listed among Kenya’s major public Level 6 facilities alongside Kenyatta National Hospital, Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital, Mwai Kibaki Hospital, Kisii Teaching and Referral Hospital, Mathari National Teaching and Referral Hospital, Nakuru Level 6 Hospital and Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital.
The classification places MTRH in the highest tier of Kenya’s public referral system, where hospitals handle complex medical cases requiring specialised treatment, advanced equipment and highly trained personnel.
The Kenya Master Health Facility Registry identifies MTRH as a Level 6 comprehensive teaching and tertiary referral hospital. The facility is located in Kapsoya, Eldoret, and has a reported inpatient capacity of 819 beds in the registry.
MTRH’s importance extends well beyond Eldoret and the North Rift.
According to the hospital, it serves patients from Kenya as well as parts of Eastern Uganda, South Sudan, Northern Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo, covering a population of more than 25 million people.
The hospital has developed specialised services covering areas such as kidney and corneal transplants, open-heart surgery, neurosurgery, spine surgery, cardiology, oncology, intensive care, dialysis and trauma care.
It also serves as a major teaching and research centre linked to Moi University College of Health Sciences. The hospital says it supports undergraduate medical education as well as postgraduate specialist training across several medical disciplines.
That combination of healthcare, medical training and research has made MTRH one of the country’s most important public referral institutions.
MTRH’s position in Kenya’s healthcare system could become even more significant with the construction of a new multi-speciality facility in Kiplombe, Uasin Gishu County.
The Ministry of Health says the project is expected to have 2,000 beds and, once completed, will become the largest hospital in Kenya. The government expects the facility to be operational in early 2027.
The project is designed to expand access to advanced medical services while strengthening Kenya’s capacity for specialist treatment, medical training and research.
The planned facility could also reduce the pressure placed on existing referral hospitals, particularly facilities in Nairobi that receive patients from across the country.
The hospital has also benefited from recent government investment in public healthcare infrastructure.
In July 2026, the government announced that public hospitals had received 71 modern operating theatres under the National Equipment Services Programme.
MTRH received five new operating theatres, placing it among the major beneficiaries of the programme. Kenyatta National Hospital received 15, while Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital and Machakos Teaching and Referral Hospital each received five.
The investment is expected to strengthen surgical services and increase the capacity of referral hospitals to handle complex cases.
MTRH has continued to expand its specialised units, including the Chandaria Cancer and Chronic Diseases Centre, Shoe4Africa Children’s Hospital, cardiac services, Riley Mother and Baby Hospital, intensive care and haemodialysis services.
For residents of Eldoret and the wider North Rift, MTRH’s Level 6 status means patients can access services that would otherwise require referral to Nairobi or other major centres.
Its location in Eldoret also gives patients from neighbouring counties and countries in the region access to specialist care without travelling to the capital.
With the planned 2,000-bed facility expected to further expand its capacity, MTRH is positioned to become an even bigger player in Kenya’s healthcare system.
The development also reinforces Eldoret’s growing role as a regional service centre, with healthcare joining education, athletics, commerce and transport among the city’s major areas of influence.