Elizabeth Mupako, a Zimbabwean working in Tanzania, arrived in Nairobi for knee treatment, underscoring Kenya's rising appeal as a medical hub. In 2024, 7,944 East Africans sought healthcare in Kenya. The country aims to become Africa's center for specialized treatments by 2030.
Elizabeth Mupako arrived in Nairobi on November 10, 2025, at dawn for treatment of her knee injury. The Zimbabwean citizen working in Arusha, Tanzania, said she was referred to Kenya because specialists are available under one roof. “Here, there is Doctor’s Plaza with all the specialists I need,” she said. Her injury began in 2016 while playing football, and treatments in Arusha failed to help, worsening her condition, leading to referral to Nairobi where a team of heart, brain, and bone specialists treated her. Since then, she has visited Nairobi regularly.
Elizabeth is among 7,944 patients from the East African Community who came to Kenya for medical care in 2024, according to the Tourism Sector Performance Report. Most came from Tanzania, followed by Uganda, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Burundi. Kenya aims to become Africa's hub for specialized medical treatment and medical tourism by 2030.
Last week, Aga Khan University Hospital signed an agreement with Kenya Airways to ease patient travel from other African countries. “When a patient gets treatment close to home, it is easier to travel and recover in familiar surroundings,” said CEO Rashid Khalani. Kenya Airways handles about 8,000 patient cases annually, including special services like oxygen and accompanying doctors for critical patients.
The hospital receives applications from across Africa for complex surgeries, kidney transplants, heart operations, and war injuries. Meanwhile, Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital (KUTRRH) uses advanced technology like CyberKnife and cyclotron for precise cancer treatment. According to CEO Dr. Zeinab Gura, patients from over 27 African countries have been served. Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) also treats patients from East and Central Africa, performing unique complex surgeries and featuring a specialized kidney and transplant unit.