The government outlined plans to build a state-of-the-art military hospital at Kabete Barracks along Waiyaki Way, Nairobi.
Reports allege that the Ministry of Defence will disclose the cost of the 700-bed fully equipped facility once the tendering process is over, though it is estimated to be worth millions.
In early March 2021, the defence ministry, under CS Monica Juma sent out confidential tender documents inviting contractors to submit bids and proposals.
The state made stringent demands for all applicants arguing that the proposed hospital was a high-security facility that would serve the country and the military fraternity.
In the bid documents, the government requires that contractors must have an annual turnover of not less than Ksh20 million over the last four years.
The applicants will also be expected to have completed a project valued at Ksh2 billion over the last decade.
The deadline for submitting the tender papers was scheduled for Sunday, March 21, but critics have argued that the tender requirements would lock out local contractors from bidding as others claimed that the government is seemingly eying a Chinese developer.
The facility will add to Kenya's growing health care sector that boasts some of the world-class institutions that provide healthcare to leaders around the region.
In February, President Uhuru Kenyatta commissioned 24 new hospitals in Nairobi built and rehabilitated by the Nairobi Metropolitan Services.
NMS boss Mohammed Badi, at the time, confirmed that Uhuru would be launching two hospitals every weekend until April when all hospitals will be commissioned.
Of the 24 hospitals, 19 facilities had been built from the ground up at a cost of Ksh70 million each. The remaining five were refurbished at a cost of Ksh300 million.
