State should first sort out public hospitals issues
An ambulance parked at the Kenyatta National Hospital, Accident and Emergency wing on June 21, 2025.
How can a government that has failed to curb systemic corruption in the Social Health Authority (SHA) present itself as a saviour of a private hospital?
While they rush to protect The Nairobi Hospital over mismanagement and loss of over Sh3 billion, the institutions tasked with safeguarding public healthcare are mired in allegations of corruption and inefficiency.
For instance, reports indicate that hundreds of positions within SHA were filled not through merit, but through political patronage. Meanwhile, Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) has become a crime scene. According to recent revelations, KNH spends Sh600 million annually on oxygen while its own Sh453 million oxygen plant cannot be used.
While patients gasp for breath, billions were spent on digital systems that barely function. These systems, often launched with great fanfare, have only ended up becoming expensive white elephants.
The government was quick to use the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to raid Nairobi Hospital and arrest its officials over reporting requirements and boardroom wrangles. But we have not seen similar multi-agency raids on the Immigration offices to flush out the syndicate arming international warlords with passports. There have been no dramatic DCI crackdowns on the SHA offices to arrest those behind the fraudulent hiring, and no handcuffs for those behind the scandalous KNH oxygen plant tender.
If the government truly cares about protecting the public interest in healthcare, it should address the rot within its own institutions. It must demonstrate that no office is beyond scrutiny, no official beyond accountability.
Edwin Kariuki, Mombasa
The crisis at The Nairobi Hospital is not merely a story of boardroom turmoil; it is also a consequence of delayed reimbursements from SHA. If the government is serious about stabilising this premier hospital, it must urgently settle billions of shillings owed under the national health insurance scheme. For months, SHA payment delays have placed immense strain on the hospital’s finances.
To safeguard Kenya’s healthcare system, the government must prioritise clearing SHA arrears and restoring confidence in the payment framework.
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Alphones Ogola, Maseno University
