Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja on Wednesday, March 8, announced plans to rename Mutuini Hospital after First Lady Rachel Ruto.
The governor stated that the hospital domiciled in Dagoretti South Sub-County will undergo renovation before the renaming.
He intimated that, “We will be bringing a motion on Mutuini hospital to rename it to Mama Rachel Ruto Hospital, Mutuini.”
According to Sakaja, the renovation of Mutuini hospital is part of his administration's agenda to improve access to healthcare.
Should the motion sail through, Mama Rachel will follow in the footsteps of her predecessor Margaret Kenyatta, who had a number of facilities named after her.
Mathare Hospital
Mathare Hospital underwent a Ksh 400 million facelift by Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) then renamed Mama Margaret Kenyatta Hospital.
It was part of several facilities named after the then first lady Margaret Kenyatta.
The 350-bed hospital in Mathare North Constituency, within Nairobi County, was previously known as Mathare-Korogocho Level 5 Hospital.
It was revived by NMS in July 2021 before being launched by former president Uhuru Kenyatta in March 2022.
The facility was meant to ease congestion at Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital and act as a referral hospital to nearby health facilities.
The hospital is managed by Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH).
Embakasi District Hospital
On June 20, 2011, Medical Services Minister Prof Anyang Nyong’o announced through Gazette Notice 8009, the change of names of Embakasi District Hospital to Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital.
The 120-bed facility near Umoja in Embakasi Constituency was upgraded to decongest KNH.
Justifying the renaming of the facility, then Embakasi Member of Parliament Ferdinand Waititu noted that, “They (China) are the ones who recommended that we give it a high profile name.
They were of the view that if it was given the name of the First Lady, then it would be easier for it to get funding in the future within the Chinese circles.”
The Chinese government had fully funded the furnishing of the facility when it underwent a facelift.
