Uzima Hospital Masterplan

Strategy

Opportunity

Lifeway Global envisioned Uzima Hospital to serve the people of Marsabit, a remote county in Kenya home to more than 14 nomadic tribes. Beyond healthcare, the vision includes training nurses and medical professionals and providing mobile medical camps to reach communities beyond the hospital.

With a limited site and an ambitious program, the challenge was to accommodate the hospital’s many functions while creating an environment that feels welcoming and restorative.

Response

IDD organized the program into clearly defined zones according to function, size, and location, creating a central courtyard as the heart of the hospital.

Filled with trees and greenery, the courtyard provides a calm space for patients and families, particularly those waiting for outpatient care. A children’s playground connects young patients with nature and creates a more welcoming experience for families.

The hospital is designed to grow through multiple phases, beginning with outpatient, patient, and maternity services and expanding over time to include additional support services, inpatient wards, emergency care, operating rooms, pediatric facilities, medical education, administration, and staff spaces.

Sustainability 

The design uses nature as an integral part of the healing environment, with the central planted courtyard providing shade, greenery, and a cooler outdoor space within the hospital campus.

The phased approach also supports long-term resource efficiency, allowing the hospital to expand its facilities as demand and resources grow rather than requiring the entire program to be built at once.

Impact

Uzima Hospital creates a flexible framework for bringing healthcare, education, and community outreach together in one of Kenya’s most remote regions.

The result is more than a hospital—it is a growing healthcare hub designed to serve patients, train future healthcare workers, and extend medical care beyond its walls to the communities that need it most.