Our History

A BRIEF HISTORY

Mengo Hospital is the pioneer hospital in Uganda serving mainly Kampala City and the neighboring districts but also beyond the borders of Uganda in the neighboring countries of South Sudan, Kenya, and Rwanda.  It is located on Namirembe hill in Rubaga Division in north-western Kampala. The travel distance by road, from the city's central business district to Mengo Hospital is approximately 2 kilometers.

The Hospital was established by Sir. Albert Ruskin Cook in 1897, following Sekabaka Mutesa 1(King of Buganda) invite to Church Missionary Society of England to come to Uganda and evangelize; to bring the “light” that consisted of three important elements namely: Evangelism, Health Care, and Education.

Soon after his arrival, Dr. Cook realized that in order to minister to the spiritual lives of the people of Uganda, he had to give attention to their enormous physical problems as well. Consequently, on 22nd February 1897, Sir Dr. Cook held his first outpatient clinic under a tree on Namirembe Hill. With that single event, the first seed for the Christian Medical work in Uganda was planted. Ever since that work has continued to grow and to develop in size and scope uninterrupted for the last 122 years.

Today, the hospital is an urban community hospital with all the amenities of a modern hospital in sub-Saharan Africa. Mengo is a teaching, research, and referral hospital whose service area comprises of divisions in Uganda’s Capital Kampala and beyond into the neighboring districts and countries.

With 331 bed capacity, Mengo receives an average of 246,000 Outpatient Department (OPD) attendances and an average of 14,000 admissions in a year. The average Maternity deliveries are 5,000 per year. Mengo provides 24hour services.