Healthcare in Kenya, and what it costs without cover

Kenya runs a two-tier system: a stretched public sector, and good private hospitals concentrated in Nairobi. The ones to know are the Aga Khan University Hospital (JCI-accredited, 24-hour A&E), The Nairobi Hospital, MP Shah and The Karen Hospital. English is an official language, so care is easy to navigate in the private sector.

Evacuation is the defining feature

The defining feature here is evacuation. Kenya is the home of AMREF Flying Doctors, a Nairobi-based air-ambulance service running for over sixty years, and for serious cases air evacuation, within Kenya or sometimes abroad to South Africa or India, is routine rather than exceptional. That, plus large upfront deposits at private hospitals, is why proper insurance with evacuation cover is the thing to get right. The emergency numbers are 999 and 112. Pharmacies (chemists) are widespread in the cities.

For short stays, Kenya is visa-free but everyone needs an approved Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA), in place since January 2024, including US, British, Canadian and Australian visitors, for stays of up to 90 days. Travel insurance is not a legal entry requirement.

Class N Digital Nomad Work Permit

To stay and work remotely, Kenya introduced the Class N Digital Nomad Work Permit in 2024, for people working for non-Kenyan employers or clients. It runs one or two years, renewable. The income threshold is in flux: it was launched at US$55,000 a year, and some 2026 sources report a reduction to around US$24,000, so confirm the current figure on the official portal. Insurance is required: proof of health cover for the full stay, described as comprehensive including emergency care, hospitalisation and repatriation, though no minimum sum is published. Given how routine air evacuation is here, insure for it properly. We lay out the visa on the Kenya digital nomad visa page.

• The roads. Kenya's roads are genuinely dangerous, with over 5,000 deaths in 2025; avoid driving after dark, and treat boda-boda motorbike taxis with caution.
• Malaria, by map. Risk is in the coastal and lowland areas below about 2,500 m, like Mombasa and the Lake Victoria basin, but Nairobi and the high-altitude central highlands are very low or no risk. Take prophylaxis for the coast and the parks, not necessarily for Nairobi.
• The Somali border zones. The US and UK governments advise against all travel to the counties bordering Somalia (Garissa, Wajir, Mandera), Tana River, and the coast north of Malindi, citing a high threat of terrorism and kidnapping.
• Nairobi crime. Petty theft is common and violent crime such as carjacking and mugging can occur; avoid areas like Eastleigh and Kibera and don't walk after dark.
• Altitude and water. Nairobi sits at about 1,800 m, so you may feel the altitude on arrival, and tap water is not safe to drink, so use bottled or filtered.