Boys’ club? - Nairobi Hospital appoints all male Board

The Nairobi Hospital has named eight new directors to its board. And they are all men.

The eight elected board members are Dr Wilfred Irungu Ndirangu, Dr Chris Bichage, Dr Stephen Ochiel, Dr Victor Opiyo Misenda, Mr Charles Kariuki Wambugu, Eng Maxwell Odongo, Mr Robert Shaw and Amb Charles Amira.

Dr Wilfred Irungu was elected as the Chairman of the Board of Directors while Dr Chris Bichage will serve as the Vice Chairman.

The new board will serve until the next Annual General Meeting upon which they will be eligible to offer themselves for re-election.

Kenyans however took issue with the Board composition - which is all male.

 “What a board?! Are there no women that qualify to sit on Nairobi Hospital's board? SMH!” Rachael Odhiambo (@RachaelOdhiambo) tweeted in response.

The issue of gender equality has been a controversial topic. With people worldwide rallying for better representation of women and equal opportunities in all fields from education and parliament to the corporate world and health related matters.

“So Nbi Hosp is a boys' club. Not a single woman in the board,” said Ythaka Squared (@Syokimau).

“No value for women, complete disregard to women,” tweeted Frida Mwangi (@FridaMwangi).

I too root for #GenderEqulity lookin to see you evn nominate a lady.

Going fwd lets not see drama play sgsin in the limelight.

Best wishes — Shiro (@Wanjiros) November 29, 2019

Practically every single tweet responding to this is asking the same question. Are you deliberately excluding women from leadership? Are you planning to ignore all these questions? — Isaac E. N. Okero (@Wuodabiero) November 29, 2019

2/3rd rule iko wapi ama nyinyi hapana tambua hio maneno — fresia (@fresiavangaal) November 29, 2019

This is not cool pic.twitter.com/J4LFuf5pN7 — Maureen Kasera (@nyauriri) November 29, 2019

Are you guys serious? Out of a country with 50% women, no woman qualified to be in your board? You surely can do better. Go back to the drawing board and come back with an inclusive list. #smh — Julian Wanjiru Kamau (@JulianWanjiru) November 29, 2019

Wrangles

This is however not the first time there has been an issue with Nairobi Hospital Board.

In April this year, Nairobi Hospital CEO Gordon Odundo was sacked just a day after a member of staff died of cholera.  Christopher Abeid was then appointed acting CEO.

“The Board of Management, after due consideration of all the relevant factors pertaining to the office of Chief Executive Officer, unanimously resolved to terminate the services of Mr Gordon Odundo as the Chief Executive Officer of the Hospital effective immediately,” read a statement by the Hospital management.

Dr Odundo had earlier been sent on a 90-day compulsory leave on December 15, 2018, the Board saying in an unsigned and undated statement that the decision was to “allow completion of the ongoing forensic audit.”

In May, owners of The Nairobi Hospital ousted the then sitting members and voted in a new board to change the facility’s top management that had been the centre of wrangles.

The nine-member team was elected in a special general meeting called by members of the Kenya Hospital Association (KHA) which owns the facility.

Some shareholders had accused the directors of poor oversight of infrastructure projects at the hospital, whose costs the petitioners said were inflated. They also claimed that the hiring of top executives was irregular and that the board had failed to file tax returns for eight years, exposing the hospital to KRA penalties.

The board has also been faulted for delayed payments to doctors, suppressing a forensic audit that revealed suspect procurement and the failure to call for fresh directors’ election at the June Annual General Meeting.