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Nairobi Hospital dismisses claims of collapse amid wrangles


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The leadership of The Nairobi Hospital has dismissed claims that the institution is facing collapse.

During a press briefing on Thursday, March 19, Board Chairperson Dr Barcley Onyambu and Chief Executive Felix Osano said recent public reports suggesting financial mismanagement or institutional distress were inaccurate.

“Our revenues stood at approximately Sh12.8 billion in 2024 and Sh11.8 billion in 2025, the latter affected by a temporary insurance suspension,” Osano said. 

“In early 2026, monthly revenues have stabilised at around Sh1.03 billion. These figures reflect a functioning, operational hospital, not an institution in distress.”

Addressing allegations that Sh9.1 billion was missing from the hospital’s accounts, Osano stated: “The audited position reflects a Sh2.214 billion deficit in 2024, largely due to legacy and one-off adjustments, which have since been addressed.

The 2025 deficit has narrowed to Sh815 million. Reports of a Sh4.2 billion loan are incorrect.”

On operations, the hospital says it reported a five per cent increase in inpatient admissions and a more than 100 per cent growth in oncology services, following a Ministry of Health partnership with Kenyatta National Hospital.

Dr Onyambu noted that the current public friction is a governance issue, not an institutional failure: “The Nairobi Hospital is stable, operational, and continues to provide care across all departments.”

“What is being presented as institutional collapse does not reflect reality. The hospital is not facing a capability problem; it is facing the misuse of governance mechanisms to advance narrow interests.”

The remarks follow the arrest of some of the hospital’s leadership, accused of mismanagement and corruption.

According to President William Ruto, the officials were arrested following a plea by six senior consultants with over two decades of service at the hospital, who accused them of “methodical dismantling” of the facility.

The doctors, who sought Ruto’s help, said they had evidence of wrongdoing, including documents “hidden in secret compartments in the company secretary’s office” and others “rescued from the hospital’s incinerator during an attempt by the board of directors to destroy evidence”.

They accused the board of manipulating the members’ register by loading over 300 individuals who were transported by bus to vote at an AGM, with their membership paid through a single Sh5 million lump sum.

However, according to the hospital’s leadership, the six who sought the President’s help did so for personal gain and not the hospital’s. They further accused them of failing to follow the right channels to air their grievances, urging the public to ignore their sentiments.

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