Our History

1891 - The History of the Mombasa Hospital begins in 1891 when the Imperial British East Africa Company, which had been granted its charter from Queen Victoria only three years earlier, received a substantial donation to build a Hospital.They chose to name it the English Hospital and they gave the running of it to the Holy Ghost Fathers of the Roman Catholic Church.  A two storey bungalow was adapted for use as a hospital with accommodation for about 12 patients.

The original Mombasa Hospital building, dating back to 1891, has benefited from conservation and is now a National monument.

1895 - The newly established East African Protectorate took over the Imperial British East Africa Company and with it the Hospital which catered for a population of 300 Europeans.

1897- Dr. W.H. McDonald (a former employee of the company) was appointed Chief Medical Officer of the Hospital.3 Sisters arrived from France to run the Hospital.

1903 - Mombasa’s first motor car was off-loaded at the old port in December, 1903.Motor cars remained uncommon sight in town until the outbreak of war in 1914.Until then most patients who were unable to walk were brought to the Hospital by means of hand pushed trolleys.

1907 - The British transferred the capital of East African Protectorate from Mombasa to Nairobi.

1908 - The British Administration opened the Native Civil Hospital in Makadara to cater for non-European patients in Mombasa.

1909 - The Mombasa Electric Light & Power Company was founded in 1909

1910 - The Hospital was enabled to obtain electric power, with the cable being suspended from palm trees.

1912 - There was no provision for maternity patients until 1912 when the first steps were taken to meet this need. A site was eventually chosen which overlooked the newly established Mombasa Golf Course. The nursing home had 3 rooms, which were often to be used as an overflow from the hospital.