Nairobi Hospital: We are not facing management crisis

Kenya Hospital Association (KHA) board chair Barcley Onyambu and Nairobi Hospital CEO Felix Osano address a press conference on March 19, 2026/HANDOUT

The Nairobi Hospital has dismissed claims that it is facing a management crisis, distancing itself from assertions made by a group of doctors that the facility is in distress and they sought the president's aid to cure the crisis.

Their remarks come days after president William Ruto said he was approached by senior doctors and professionals from the hospital, asking him to save the hospital.

The president described Nairobi Hospital as a premier medical institution in the country and said he would not allow it to be ‘taken hostage by fraudsters.’

“As president of the Republic of Kenya and as patron of Nairobi Hospital, senior doctors and professionals from Nairobi Hospital approached me to save Nairobi Hospital from conmen, fraudsters and charlatans who wanted to expropriate Nairobi Hospital,” he said.

Ruto confirmed that after the appeal from the officials, he ordered the removal of those allegedly involved in fraud in the hospital.

“That is why I have instructed with clarity that all those who are involved in fraudulent activities in Nairobi Hospital will be removed; they will be taken to court, and they will be charged,” he added. 

However, addressing a press conference, Kenya Hospital Association (KHA) board chair Barcley Onyambu said the hospital remains stable, fully operational, and continues to deliver healthcare services across all its departments.

“Contrary to what has been presented in the public domain, the hospital is stable and fully operational. What is being portrayed as an institutional collapse is, in fact, a governance matter,” Onyambu said.

He warned that the public dispute risks eroding confidence in one of the country’s leading private healthcare institutions.

“It has unfortunately played out in a manner that risks undermining confidence in a critical national healthcare institution,” he added.

Onyambu also condemned the arrest and detention of some hospital directors by state agencies, terming the move unprecedented and a violation of their rights.

“This unprecedented action by the state investigative agencies went against all known norms on personal liberty and dignity, more so having been granted anticipated bail by the court,” he said.

Senior officials linked to the KHA board were arrested and later charged at the Milimani Law Courts with multiple offences, including conflict of interest, unlawful receipt of benefits, failure to file financial statements, and allegations of falsifying records.

The hospital further distanced itself from a group of doctors who recently met Ruto to present grievances about the facility’s management and financial position.

According to the hospital leadership, the doctors acted in their individual capacities and did not represent the institution.

The delegation included Dr David Silverstein, Dr Martin Wanyoike, Dr Stephen Muhudhia and Dr Florence Murila.

The Kenya Hospital Association, whose patron is the sitting President, owns Nairobi Hospital.

Ruto has maintained a hardline stance on the matter, vowing to protect the hospital from what he described as fraudulent dealings.

“There is no way I am going to allow Nairobi Hospital to be taken hostage by conmen and fraudsters. I have instructed that all those who were involved in the fraudulent activities be removed and charged in court,” Ruto said in earlier remarks.

However, the hospital’s management insists that the financial figures circulating publicly are inaccurate.

Chief Executive Officer Felix Osano said the institution is on a recovery path and not in financial distress as claimed.

“The Sh9.1 billion that people are being told is lost is not factual. The Sh4.2 billion loan that the hospital is said to have taken is also not factual,” Osano stated.

He added that internal financial reports show a positive trajectory.

“The hospital’s draft financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2025 demonstrate a continued trajectory of recovery relative to FY2024,” he said.

The hospital’s Medical Advisory Committee chair, Agnes Gachuku, also criticised the doctors who met the President, describing their actions as irregular and biased.

“They are conflicted. The hospital has been trying to address that conflict of interest,” Gachuku said.

She faulted the group for bypassing established internal communication channels.

“We have a structure of communication. The five who went to see the patron did not follow that structure. It was therefore an informal meeting,” she added.