Kenyatta National Hospital Secures €50,000 Grant for Solar Power System to Cut Costs and Enhance Patient Care
Key Insights
Kenyatta National Hospital is set to install a solar power system to significantly reduce electricity costs and enhance operational resilience, addressing frequent power outages.
The project receives a Sh7.6 million (€50,000) grant from the Cities Climate Finance Gap Fund, managed by the World Bank and EIB Global, for technical and financial studies.
The European Investment Bank (EIB Global) and Germany’s GIZ are supporting the initiative, with GIZ conducting crucial assessments on consumption and integration.
This transition aims to redirect substantial savings from energy bills towards essential hospital services like medicine supply and infrastructure upgrades, benefiting patient care.
Nairobi, Kenya – Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), East Africa's largest public referral facility, is embarking on a significant initiative to integrate solar power into its operations, aiming to drastically cut electricity costs and enhance the reliability of its critical healthcare services. This strategic move, supported by a Sh7.6 million (€50,000) grant, underscores a growing commitment to sustainable energy solutions within the region's public sector infrastructure.
The hospital currently faces substantial energy bills and frequent power outages, which pose considerable risks to critically ill patients and disrupt essential medical procedures. While existing diesel generators can cover only about 65 percent of the hospital's power needs during grid interruptions, the transition to a photovoltaic (PV) solar system is deemed crucial for ensuring uninterrupted, high-quality patient care. This project is expected to significantly reduce KNH's reliance on the national grid, providing a more stable and cost-effective power supply.
Funding for the comprehensive technical and financial studies required for the solar system's installation and integration comes from the Cities Climate Finance Gap Fund. This fund, jointly managed by the World Bank and EIB Global, the development arm of the European Investment Bank, is instrumental in de-risking and accelerating climate-smart urban projects. Germany’s development agency GIZ will conduct these in-depth assessments, focusing on KNH’s power consumption trends, the seamless integration of solar into existing infrastructure, potential regulatory barriers, and the overall financial viability, including long-term maintenance.
Edward Claessen, head of the EIB Regional Hub for East Africa, emphasized the strategic importance of this collaboration. “Our goal is a climate-smart future. We are committed to supporting KNH in its transition to green electricity. The forthcoming technical studies will lay the ground for the successful implementation of the PV system,” Claessen stated, highlighting the broader environmental and operational benefits.
KNH Chief Executive Evanson Kamuri articulated the anticipated financial and service delivery improvements. “This collaboration marks a significant step in our commitment to sustainable healthcare delivery. By integrating energy efficiency and climate-smart solutions, KNH is not only enhancing operational resilience but also setting a benchmark for environmentally responsible healthcare infrastructure in the region,” Kamuri noted. He added that the substantial savings from reduced electricity bills would be strategically redirected towards core services, including medicine supply, staffing, and critical infrastructure upgrades, directly benefiting the nearly two million patients the hospital serves annually.
With a 2,400-bed capacity, KNH's energy demands have steadily increased in tandem with rising patient numbers and the adoption of advanced medical technology. This solar initiative represents a vital step in overcoming persistent challenges related to power reliability and escalating operational costs, positioning KNH as a leader in sustainable healthcare in East Africa.