Nakuru War Memorial Hospital has returned to the spotlight after police reportedly restricted staff from accessing the facility on Saturday, October 17, 2026, a day after it reopened under a court order. The incident has renewed questions about the hospital’s operations amid an ongoing land dispute.
The hospital is owned by Nakuru War Memorial Hospital Limited, a private entity involved in a legal battle with the Nakuru County Government over land in Milimani Estate.
In a ruling delivered on February 12, 2026, the Environment and Land Court affirmed the company’s ownership of the disputed property and nullified the county’s takeover actions and cancellation of the hospital’s lease.
Fresh Row Over the Hospital Reopening
Hospital lawyer Lawrence Karanja said officers who arrived at the facility claimed they had received instructions from the Ministry of Interior but did not explain their mission. He said management challenged them to produce a court order authorising the closure.
“We told them that the hospital had been reopened by the court and asked them to produce an order authorising its closure, because they had no such order. They told us they had received orders from above, from the Ministry of Interior. They also did not know what they had been sent there to do,” Karanja said.
The arrival of hospital representatives and employees reportedly eased tensions, allowing staff to access the premises and resume preparations to restore services.
Karanja accused senior national and county government officials of using police to interfere with the hospital’s operations and warned that those found to have abused their authority could be held accountable.
Location of Nakuru War Memorial Hospital
Nakuru War Memorial Hospital is in Milimani Estate, Nakuru Town, Nakuru County.
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The facility is situated near State House Nakuru and the Nakuru Provincial General Hospital Annex.
It sits on land reportedly measuring between 25 and 27.6 acres. Its location near key government and public health institutions has placed the property at the centre of the ongoing dispute over land ownership and control.
The facility is accessible from roads serving Milimani Estate, including State House Road North.
History of Nakuru War Memorial Hospital
Nakuru War Memorial Hospital was founded in 1919 to commemorate African and European troops who served in the East African campaign during the First World War.
It began operating in May 1921 and was officially opened in 1922 under the Nakuru War Memorial Hospital Trust.
The facility was associated with Dr Norman Jewell, a British medical officer who served during the war.
It was established to honour soldiers who died in the conflict while providing healthcare to the local community.
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The hospital was built on about 25 acres in Milimani Estate, Nakuru, under a 99-year lease granted in 1922. Over the decades, it developed into a private healthcare institution serving Nakuru and the wider Rift Valley region, and the original lease expired around 2021; the hospital obtained a 50-year extension effective April 1, 2021.
Why the 27-Acre Land Is Contested
Nakuru County Government later challenged the extension, alleging it used forged ownership documents to secure it.
The dispute escalated on October 27, 2023, when the Nakuru County Government took over the hospital’s management, prompting a legal battle over the property and its operations.
Four days later, the High Court barred the county from cancelling or interfering with the hospital’s lease pending determination of the case.
In a ruling delivered on February 12, 2026, the Environment and Land Court affirmed Nakuru War Memorial Hospital Limited’s ownership of the disputed land.
Justice Mugo Kamau upheld the 50-year lease extension and ordered the county government to vacate the property.
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