In Nairobi's informal settlements, community health clinics in Nairobi run by NGOs and faith-based organisations often fill critical gaps left by stretched public facilities, offering primary healthcare, maternal services, and disease surveillance to some of the city's most underserved populations. These clinics frequently combine clinical services with community health worker programmes, taking care directly into households through home visits and health education. This guide profiles some of the most established NGO- and faith-based providers of this kind in the city, detailing their services, coverage areas, and contact information, for residents and organisations looking to access or support this essential layer of care.
Quick Reference Table
| # | Clinic/Provider | Location | Coverage Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tabitha Medical Clinic (CFK Africa) | Kibera, Nairobi | Primary healthcare & disease surveillance |
| 2 | AMREF Kibera Community Health Center | Kibera, Nairobi | Primary healthcare, maternal & child health |
| 3 | MPC Clinic (Mukuru Promotion Centre) | Mukuru slums, Nairobi | Primary healthcare for underserved communities |
| 4 | KICOSHEP | Kibera, Nairobi | HIV/AIDS care & VCT services |
| 5 | Mukuru Health Centre | Imara Daima, Embakasi South | General outpatient care |
| 6 | Amref Health Africa in Kenya | Langata Road, Nairobi | Health systems support & medical centre |
| 7 | Jerusalem Health Centre | Kamukunji, Nairobi | Community outpatient care |
A closer look at each of these community health clinics in Nairobi is provided below.
1. Tabitha Medical Clinic (CFK Africa)
Tabitha Medical Clinic, founded by the late nurse Tabitha Atieno Festo, is one of the most recognised community health clinics in Nairobi, operating within Kibera as a partnership between CFK Africa (formerly Carolina for Kibera), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Duke and University of North Carolina researchers. The clinic treats around 20,000 patients a year on a sliding-fee scale, offering consultations, x-ray and ultrasound, pharmacy, laboratory services, HIV/AIDS testing, TB management, cervical cancer screening, immunisations, and family planning, alongside a linked Tabitha Maternity Home.
- Address: Kibera, Nairobi Area, Kenya (P.O. Box 10763-00100, Nairobi)
- Email: Available via the website contact form
- Phone Number: Available via the website contact form
- Website: carolinaforkibera.org
2. AMREF Kibera Community Health Center
AMREF Kibera Community Health Center is a Level 3 facility recognised under Kenya's national health insurance system, offering primary healthcare, maternal and child health, and reproductive health services to residents of Kibera. As part of the wider Amref Health Africa network, it stands out among community health clinics in Nairobi for combining direct patient care with the organisation's broader public health research and outreach programmes across the region.
- Address: Kibera, Nairobi, Kenya
- Email: info.kenya@amref.org
- Phone Number: +254 20 6994000
- Website: amref.org/kenya
3. MPC Clinic (Mukuru Promotion Centre)
MPC Clinic was established in 1991 to serve children and adults from the Mukuru slums, an area where quality private healthcare is largely out of reach and government facilities are often under-resourced. It remains one of the important faith- and donor-supported clinics of its kind in the city, treating common conditions such as typhoid, cholera, and diarrhoea that are closely linked to poor sanitation infrastructure in the surrounding area.
- Address: Mukuru slums, Nairobi, Kenya
- Email: Available via the Mercy Mukuru website contact form
- Phone Number: Available via the Mercy Mukuru website contact form
- Website: mercymukuru.co.ke
4. KICOSHEP
KICOSHEP, the Kibera Integrated Community Self-Help Programme, was founded by Anne Owiti in 1991 in response to Kibera's high HIV/AIDS prevalence rates. As one of the pioneering community health clinics in Nairobi in the voluntary counselling and testing space, it has since grown into a wider network of VCT centres across the country, alongside running a primary school for children affected by HIV and AIDS within Kibera.
- Address: Kibera, Nairobi, Kenya
- Email: Not publicly listed
- Phone Number: Not publicly listed
- Website: Not publicly listed
5. Mukuru Health Centre
Mukuru Health Centre is a Ministry of Health-regulated Level 3 public facility located in the Imara Daima ward of Embakasi South, with a 24-bed inpatient capacity and dedicated cots for young children. It complements the NGO-run clinics in the area, giving residents of Mukuru an additional public option alongside the area's NGO-run clinics for general outpatient and limited inpatient care.
- Address: Imara Daima, Embakasi South, Nairobi, Kenya
- Email: Not publicly listed
- Phone Number: Available through Nairobi City County Health Department: +254 725 624489
- Website: Not applicable (public facility)
6. Amref Health Africa in Kenya
Amref Health Africa's Kenya country office coordinates a wide range of community health programmes and clinical services, including the Amref Medical Centre, in support of underserved populations across Nairobi and beyond. Its long track record since 1957 makes it one of the most established organisations behind community health clinics in Nairobi, addressing maternal mortality, infectious disease, and non-communicable disease at both clinical and community levels.
- Address: Langata Road, P.O. Box 30125-00100, Nairobi, Kenya
- Email: info.kenya@amref.org
- Phone Number: +254 20 6994000
- Website: amref.org/kenya
7. Jerusalem Health Centre
Jerusalem Health Centre, serving the Jerusalem estate within Kamukunji sub-county, functions as a community-facing outpatient facility for a densely populated part of the city. While government-run rather than NGO-operated, it plays a similar role to many of the other providers on this list, providing accessible, low-cost care to residents who might otherwise struggle to afford private treatment.
- Address: Next to Jerusalem Shopping Centre, Kamukunji, Nairobi, Kenya
- Email: Not publicly listed
- Phone Number: Available through Nairobi City County Health Department: +254 725 624489
- Website: Not applicable (public facility)
The Role of Community Health Clinics
Many community health clinics in Nairobi rely on a combination of donor funding, NGO partnerships, and community health volunteers to reach populations in informal settlements that public infrastructure alone cannot adequately serve. Supporting or accessing these clinics, whether as a patient, volunteer, or donor, helps sustain a layer of care that is often the only realistic option for hundreds of thousands of residents in Nairobi's slums.