Presenting the revised 2025/2026 national budget to Parliament on Thursday, the minister said construction of the new hospital complex has reached 98 percent. The remaining work includes final finishing, installation of modern medical equipment, and preparation of staff who will operate in the facility.

“These are very large facilities that require many advanced medical devices and more personnel than we previously had at CHUK. However, the hospital cannot relocate all at once some services will move first while others continue operating from the current site,” he said.

The transfer will therefore be carried out in phases to ensure continuity of healthcare services, especially emergency and critical care, until all departments are fully operational at the new location in Kigali.

The new hospital is significantly larger, with capacity for more than 800 beds compared to about 400 beds at the existing facility. Because of this expansion, additional medical staff will be required.

According to the minister, the full relocation of all services is expected to be completed by September 2026.

Construction of the hospital began in March 2023 as part of efforts by Rwanda to strengthen healthcare infrastructure. The project is being executed by Shanghai Construction Group Co. Ltd at an estimated cost of about 85 billion Rwandan francs (approximately 580 million Chinese yuan).

The facility has been designed with environmental considerations, allowing natural airflow to reduce reliance on air-conditioning. Patient rooms feature balconies so recovering patients can access fresh air and sunlight, and the complex includes disability-friendly pathways and elevators for easy movement between floors.