Mombasa Gets Second LINAC Machine as New Cancer Radiotherapy Centre Opens at CGTRH

Cancer patients in Mombasa County and across the coast region now have access to advanced radiotherapy treatment closer to home, after the government officially commissioned a new Mombasa cancer radiotherapy centre at Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital (CGTRH) on Monday, May 11, 2026.

As a result, the facility’s new Linear Accelerator (LINAC) machine can treat up to 120 patients every day.

Before today, many coastal patients had no choice but to travel to Nairobi, a journey of roughly 500 kilometres, or seek treatment abroad.

What the Mombasa Cancer Radiotherapy Centre Means for Patients

Cabinet Secretary for Health Aden Duale said Kenya is now building a network of regional cancer hubs to reduce pressure on national referral hospitals.

The new CGTRH unit joins similar centres at Nakuru, Kenyatta National Hospital, Jaramogi, Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH), and Kenyatta University.

“We are making very deliberate measures to eliminate cancer as a public health threat by providing these facilities for our patients, building more cancer wards, and ensuring early detection and screening,” said Duale, singling out breast cancer and cervical cancer as priority targets for early intervention.

Meanwhile, Mombasa County Governor Abdulswamad Nassir said the hospital already records one of the lowest radiotherapy wait times in the country. He added that the facility draws patients from across Kenya, not only from the coast region.

According to the governor, IAEA support proved decisive. He thanked IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi for travelling from Vienna to attend the commissioning in person, describing the milestone as one that would not have happened without the agency’s intervention.

IAEA’s Rays of Hope Programme Drives LINAC Donation to Kenya

The IAEA procured the CGTRH LINAC machine through its Rays of Hope initiative, a global programme that expands cancer treatment infrastructure in developing countries.

Kenya secured two machines under the programme, one for Mombasa and one for Nakuru.

In addition to machines, the IAEA also funds training, diagnostic imaging, nuclear medicine, treatment planning systems, and radiation safety frameworks.

According to the Ministry of Health, roughly 50 per cent of all cancer patients need radiotherapy as part of their treatment, making the equipment critical.

Furthermore, Kenyan health professionals have taken up IAEA fellowships, completed specialised training abroad, and worked directly with international experts deployed to Kenya on on-site missions.

The Ministry says these engagements have strengthened treatment quality, improved radiation safety, and cut the country’s dependence on foreign oncology expertise.

Grossi praised Kenya’s health professionals and described CGTRH as a standard-setter for the continent. “You are setting standards for the country and for Africa, and we will continue,” he said.

Government Links Radiotherapy Expansion to Universal Health Coverage Push

Duale framed the commissioning as a direct pillar of Kenya’s Universal Health Coverage (UHC) agenda. He said the government plans to strengthen cancer prevention, expand treatment services to all regions, and grow the oncology workforce.

As a result of Monday’s commissioning, residents of Mombasa County and the wider coast region no longer need to travel upcountry for radiotherapy. CGTRH now serves patients from across Kenya and directly reduces the patient load at Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi