The Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital is set for a major upgrade as healthcare and education take centre stage in Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir’s re-election agenda.

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On Monday, he is expected to join Health CS Aden Duale for the launch of a new Linac machine at the Regional Cancer Centre within the Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital, a development aimed at strengthening cancer treatment services along the Coast. A Linac machine is a device most commonly used for external beam radiation treatments for patients with cancer

The launch came days after the governor commissioned two new health facilities in Kongowea and Likoni, underscoring what he termed an aggressive push to expand healthcare infrastructure and improve access in the county.

“The investment that we are putting into health is huge. No other county is investing in health like Mombasa is,” Nassir said, noting ongoing projects, including a level 4 hospital in Kongowea to ease pressure on Coast General.

He said Port Reitz Hospital is being upgraded, while Mikindani Hospital is also undergoing improvements.

He further revealed that discussions with sponsors, including the Dawoodi Bohra community, had supported the development of the Likoni Level 4 Hospital.

The county government has already advertised a major upgrade of CGTRH, which will include the construction of an additional floor to expand wards, theatres and specialised units.

Once completed, the facility is expected to deliver services closer to level 6 standards, despite being classified as a Level 5 hospital.

Nassir also announced the county will cover patient costs at level 4 and level 5 facilities under the Social Health Authority (SHA) framework.

“I know what I am doing so that our level 4 and level 5 hospitals are getting funds from SHA,” he said.

Under the under-five programme, children born in Mombasa will continue to receive free treatment, including major surgeries, with the county covering any costs not met by SHA.

“Your county government will step up for you without you paying a single penny,” he said.

The governor said digitisation of health services will also help improve efficiency and accountability, allowing real-time tracking of patient care and reducing delays in service delivery.

He said prescriptions will be fully digitised to eliminate paper-based referrals that he said had previously enabled misuse within the system.

On healthcare expansion, Nassir said the new Linac machine would significantly boost cancer treatment capacity, doubling daily radiotherapy services from 70 to 140 patients and reducing waiting times for patients.

In education, the governor said reforms in early childhood development education (ECDE) have seen all learners receive free lunch, improving retention rates.

He said 12 new ECDE centres have been completed, with more projects under way in partnership with the World Bank.

The county chief also unveiled plans to introduce daycare centres in all schools, citing research showing that around 90,000 women in Mombasa have infants at any given time, affecting their participation in the workforce.

“This means these mothers cannot participate in the development of the Mombasa and Kenya economy,” he said.

Nassir said the daycare programme would allow mothers to work while ensuring proper care for their children.

He further hinted at an upcoming social programme targeting pregnant women, saying it would focus on supporting life “from conception”.

The governor said the broader agenda is to make Mombasa a place where residents can access quality healthcare, education and social support systems that improve overall living standards.

Instant analysis

The expansion of the Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital signals Governor Abdulswamad Nassir’s strategy to anchor his political agenda on visible social infrastructure, particularly healthcare. By prioritising cancer treatment, hospital upgrades and digital health systems, the county is positioning itself as a regional medical hub. The introduction of free child healthcare and proposed daycare centres also links social welfare directly to economic empowerment, especially for working mothers. However, the ambitious scale of the projects raises questions about sustainability, funding consistency and long-term operational capacity. Overall, the plan blends service delivery with political messaging ahead of the next electoral cycle.