St. Francis Community Hospital is a Level 5 teaching and referral hospital located along Kasarani–Mwiki Road in Kasarani, Nairobi. The Kenya Master Health Facility Registry lists the operational facility in Clay City Ward, Kasarani Sub-County, while the hospital’s own current information identifies its location as Kasarani–Mwiki Road. (St. Francis Hospital)
For commuters, this places the hospital within one of northern Nairobi’s important public transport corridors:
Nairobi CBD → Thika Road → Kasarani → Kasarani–Mwiki Road → Clay City → St. Francis Community Hospital
The main journey-planning task is therefore to first reach Kasarani, then use a service continuing along the Kasarani–Mwiki Road/Clay City corridor.
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Where is St. Francis Community Hospital?
St. Francis Community Hospital is situated along Kasarani–Mwiki Road, within the wider Kasarani and Clay City area.
The official Kenya health facility registry places the hospital in Clay City Ward, while the hospital gives its address as Kasarani–Mwiki Road. (St. Francis Hospital)
This makes Kasarani–Mwiki Road the most important road-level transport connection for the hospital.
For Metros’ database, the relationship is:
St. Francis Community Hospital → Clay City → Kasarani–Mwiki Road → Kasarani → Thika Road → Nairobi
Getting to St. Francis Community Hospital from Nairobi CBD
Passengers travelling from Nairobi CBD should look for a matatu heading towards Kasarani, Clay City or Mwiki, depending on the service.
There are two particularly useful route records in the Metros database:
and
Route 49 connects Nairobi CBD with Kasarani through Murang’a Road, Pangani, Thika Road and Roysambu, while some Route 49 services continue deeper into the Kasarani area towards Seasons and Clay City. (Metros)
Route 17B continues through the wider Kasarani–Mwiki corridor, serving Kasarani, Seasons, Hunters, Sunton and Mwiki. (Metros)
For the hospital, passengers should tell the conductor:
“St. Francis Hospital — Kasarani-Mwiki Road.”
Do this before boarding rather than relying only on the route number.
Route 49 to Kasarani and Clay City
Route 49 is one of the most useful routes for understanding the hospital journey from Nairobi CBD.
Metros maps the extended service broadly as:
Nairobi CBD → Pangani → Thika Road → Roysambu → Kasarani → Seasons → Clay City
Some Route 49 vehicles terminate within Kasarani while others continue towards Clay City, so passengers should check the vehicle’s final destination. (Metros)
For St. Francis Community Hospital, look for a service continuing sufficiently far along the Kasarani–Mwiki Road/Clay City side.
ALSO READ: Route 49 Nairobi to Kasarani & Clay City Matatu Guide
Do not assume every Route 49 vehicle reaches the hospital area simply because it displays Kasarani.
Route 17B and the Mwiki Road corridor
Route 17B is particularly relevant because it operates through the Kasarani–Mwiki Road corridor.
Metros maps its general direction as:
Nairobi CBD → Thika Road → Kasarani → Seasons → Hunters → Sunton → Mwiki. (Metros)
Because St. Francis Community Hospital is located along Kasarani–Mwiki Road, this corridor is highly relevant to passengers travelling to the hospital.
ALSO READ: Route 17B Nairobi to Mwiki: Matatu Stops & Thika Road Guide
Passengers should still tell the conductor that their destination is St. Francis Community Hospital and ask for the appropriate alighting point.
Thika Road is the main feeder corridor
For passengers approaching from central Nairobi, Thika Road is the major trunk corridor feeding the Kasarani transport network.
The basic relationship is:
Nairobi CBD → Pangani/Muthaiga → Thika Road → Roysambu → Kasarani
From Kasarani, services branch towards neighbourhoods including Seasons, Clay City, Hunters, Sunton and Mwiki.
This means passengers should distinguish between:
Thika Road trunk journey
and
Kasarani–Mwiki Road local journey
when planning the trip.
Getting there from Kasarani
Passengers already in Kasarani have a much shorter journey.
The basic connection is:
Kasarani → Kasarani–Mwiki Road → Clay City/St. Francis Community Hospital
Look for a vehicle continuing towards Mwiki, Seasons, Clay City, Hunters or another appropriate point along Kasarani–Mwiki Road, but confirm that it passes the hospital before boarding.
The important instruction is:
“St. Francis Community Hospital.”
The hospital is a more precise destination than simply asking for Clay City or Mwiki.
Getting there from Mwiki
Passengers starting in Mwiki can travel back along the Kasarani–Mwiki Road corridor towards the hospital.
The relationship is:
Mwiki → Sunton/Hunters → Kasarani–Mwiki Road → St. Francis Community Hospital
Route 17B is useful for understanding the wider Mwiki–Kasarani corridor, although individual vehicles and operating patterns may vary.
Passengers should confirm the correct hospital drop-off with the conductor.
Coming from Roysambu
Roysambu lies directly on the wider Thika Road–Kasarani transport corridor.
Passengers from Roysambu can first travel towards Kasarani and then continue along Kasarani–Mwiki Road.
The general journey is:
Roysambu → Kasarani → Kasarani–Mwiki Road → St. Francis Community Hospital
Depending on the vehicle, the passenger may find a service continuing beyond Kasarani towards Clay City or Mwiki, avoiding an additional interchange.
Coming from Githurai
Passengers travelling from Githurai should connect towards Kasarani or the Mwiki/Kahawa side of the local network, depending on the service available.
A practical journey can be understood as:
Githurai → Kasarani/Mwiki connection → Kasarani–Mwiki Road → St. Francis Community Hospital
Passengers should ask at the stage for the most direct connection towards St. Francis Hospital on Kasarani–Mwiki Road rather than unnecessarily travelling into Nairobi CBD.
Coming from Nairobi CBD via Route 49
For passengers unfamiliar with the northern Nairobi network, Route 49 provides one of the easiest journeys to understand.
The route broadly follows:
Nairobi CBD → Murang’a Road → Pangani → Thika Road → Roysambu → Kasarani
with some services continuing towards Seasons and Clay City. (Metros)
The passenger should therefore check the destination board.
A vehicle marked only:
49 – KASARANI
may terminate before the required hospital connection.
A service continuing towards Clay City may be more useful, subject to confirmation from the conductor.
Coming from Westlands
Passengers starting in Westlands will generally need to connect into either central Nairobi or the northern Nairobi network.
Start with the Westlands Transport, Matatu Routes & Stages Guide.
The straightforward journey is:
Westlands → Nairobi CBD → Thika Road → Kasarani → Kasarani–Mwiki Road → St. Francis Community Hospital
Passengers familiar with northern Nairobi may find an alternative interchange that avoids travelling fully into the CBD.
Coming from Eastlands
Passengers travelling from Eastlands should consider connections towards Outer Ring Road, Mwiki, Kasarani or Thika Road, depending on their origin.
A passenger already able to reach Mwiki does not necessarily need to travel through Nairobi CBD.
The journey may instead become:
Eastlands → Mwiki → Kasarani–Mwiki Road → St. Francis Community Hospital
This is particularly relevant because Nairobi’s commuter rail and local transport network connect Mwiki with other parts of eastern Nairobi.
Using Nairobi Commuter Rail
Rail can provide an alternative first stage for some passengers.
Metros’ Nairobi Commuter Rail Routes, Stations & Fares Guide maps the Ruiru commuter service through:
Nairobi Central → Makadara → Mutindwa → Dandora → Mwiki → Githurai → Kahawa West → Kenyatta University → Ruiru. (Metros)
For St. Francis Community Hospital, Mwiki can therefore function as a rail-to-road interchange.
A possible journey is:
Nairobi Central → Mwiki Station → Kasarani–Mwiki Road connection → St. Francis Community Hospital
Train schedules and service availability should always be checked before relying on rail for a hospital appointment.
ALSO READ: Nairobi Central to Ruiru Commuter Train Route Guide
Coming from Kayole and eastern Nairobi
Passengers starting in Kayole can first use the Kayole Junction Road Matatu Routes Guide to identify a suitable connection out of the area.
Depending on available services, the broader journey may be:
Kayole → Eastlands interchange → Mwiki/Kasarani → Kasarani–Mwiki Road → St. Francis Community Hospital
For some passengers, connecting through Mwiki may make more geographical sense than travelling first to Nairobi CBD.
Coming from Ngong Road and western Nairobi
Passengers travelling from Ngong Road, Kawangware, Dagoretti and surrounding areas will normally need an interchange.
Use the Ngong Road–Karen Matatu Connections Guide to establish the first leg.
The easiest journey for an unfamiliar passenger is:
Ngong Road/Kawangware → Nairobi CBD → Route 49 or 17B → Kasarani–Mwiki Road → St. Francis Community Hospital
Other cross-city connections may exist, but the CBD provides a simpler interchange to understand.
Where should you alight?
Passengers should tell the conductor before boarding that their destination is:
St. Francis Community Hospital, Kasarani–Mwiki Road.
Do not simply ask for Kasarani, because Kasarani covers a large area and some vehicles terminate before reaching the hospital corridor.
Similarly, a vehicle heading towards Mwiki may travel along the relevant road but passengers still need to establish the appropriate hospital stage.
The correct Metros journey logic is:
Hospital first → road → route → stage
rather than:
route number first → hope it reaches the hospital.
Finding the correct SACCO or operator
Several operators can serve the same Nairobi corridor.
The Nairobi Matatu SACCOs, Routes & Destinations Directory identifies Mwiki PSV and other operators within the broader Thika Road transport network, while noting that multiple SACCOs can operate along the same corridor. (Metros)
Passengers should therefore identify the destination and corridor first, then choose an operator serving that journey.
For St. Francis:
St. Francis Community Hospital → Kasarani–Mwiki Road → Clay City/Kasarani → Route 17B/49 or appropriate service → stage → operator
Travel time and fares
Journey time depends heavily on the passenger’s origin and traffic conditions along Thika Road, Kasarani and Kasarani–Mwiki Road.
Passengers travelling from Nairobi CBD should allow extra time during weekday morning and evening peaks.
Additional time should also be allowed when the journey requires an interchange at Kasarani or Mwiki.
Fares vary and can change at any time.
Confirm the fare before boarding each vehicle.
Travelling for medical care
St. Francis Community Hospital describes itself as a Level 5 teaching and referral hospital, while the Kenya Master Health Facility Registry also classifies it as an operational KEPH Level 5 facility. (St. Francis Hospital)
Matatu and commuter-rail guidance is intended primarily for appointments, routine treatment, hospital visits, discharges and other non-emergency journeys.
For a serious or life-threatening emergency, do not delay appropriate medical care while trying to identify a matatu.
Use emergency medical transport where necessary.
Metros maintains the Nairobi Emergency Numbers and Nairobi Ambulance Services & Emergency Contacts guides.
St. Francis within the Nairobi hospital transport network
St. Francis Community Hospital becomes an important northern Nairobi node in the Nairobi Hospitals & Emergency Services database.
Unlike hospital records concentrated around Upper Hill, Parklands and central Nairobi, St. Francis extends the network into:
Thika Road → Kasarani → Clay City → Mwiki
This connects the hospital layer directly with Metros’ existing Kasarani, Mwiki, Thika Road and commuter-rail information.
Plan your journey to St. Francis Community Hospital
For most passengers, the key is remembering that St. Francis Community Hospital is along Kasarani–Mwiki Road, rather than directly on Thika Road. (St. Francis Hospital)
From Nairobi CBD:
Nairobi CBD → Thika Road → Kasarani → Kasarani–Mwiki Road → St. Francis Community Hospital
From Mwiki:
Mwiki → Kasarani–Mwiki Road → St. Francis Community Hospital
From eastern Nairobi:
Origin → Mwiki/Kasarani interchange → Kasarani–Mwiki Road → hospital
For the wider network, use the Nairobi Matatu Routes and Numbers, Nairobi Bus Stations, Matatu Stages & Termini and Nairobi Matatu SACCOs, Routes & Destinations databases.
St. Francis Community Hospital → Kasarani–Mwiki Road → Clay City/Kasarani → Thika Road/Mwiki → route → stage → SACCO/operator → Nairobi transport network.
