Mater Misericordiae Hospital was opened in 1962 by the Sisters of Mercy, a Catholic Order of Nuns originating from Ireland, three years after registering themselves as the Registered Trustees of an entity under the Perpetual Succession Act (the succeeding legislation after independence). The missionary role of the Sisters of Mercy has spread to other parts of Kenya and the Mater Hospital has become a private hospital that charges a fee-for-service to a patient population that has developed locally to a much higher level of affluence compared with other parts of Kenya. The financial objective of the hospital is to provide affordable healthcare to as many people as possible but also attempt to meet all of its costs, including depreciation, in order to replace and upgrade medical equipment.