Vehicle razed and four ‘spies’ detained in row over hospital

A Toyota Prado that was torched by staff of St St Mary's Mission Hospital in Nakuru County. The vehicle was used by four people suspected of plotting to take over the facility. [Kipsang Joseph|Standard]

A car was torched and its four occupants detained on suspicion of spying on a hospital in Gilgil.

The four, who had travelled in a Toyota Prado, had reportedly visited St Mary’s Mission hospital yesterday as part of a hostile takeover plot.

Hospital staff beat them up and torched the vehicle before officers from Gilgil Police Station intervened.

The four men claimed they had a patient at the hospital. However, upon inquiry and scrutiny of files at the nurses’ station and the maternity wing, this was ruled out as the name they gave was not in the records.

Sought refuge

Staff of St Mary’s Mission Hospital in Langata, Nairobi, who had been affected by a takeover and had sought refuge at the facility, identified the men and raised the alarm.

The four had reportedly tracked down the staff from Nairobi.

Hospital Director Peter Lemayan said: “Members of our staff affected by the takeover in Nairobi identified the four positively as among a group that subjected them to torture and raised the alarm. Other staff came in solidarity and soon hell broke loose.”

When we visited the facility, medical personnel had joined security guards at the hospital’s main gate to help secure the area.

St Mary’s Mission Hospital has been at the centre of a court battle between the Maryknoll Fathers of the United States and the Assumption Sisters of Nairobi over its ownership.

The nuns won a case over ownership. The hospital is also claimed by Charles Fryda, a catholic priest. An appeal is pending in court. Last week, services at the hospital in Lang’ata Nairobi were disrupted as auctioneers and police stormed the facility as new management took over.

Mr Lemayan said staff were protecting what they believed was theirs.

St Mary’s Mission Hospital has been the subject of a legal battle over ownership ***[Kipsang Joseph| Standard]***

Major role

He said though the facility was founded by Fryda and the Assumption Sisters its staff played a major role.

Nursing Director Salasio Marangu said the staff were affected over the manner their colleagues were evicted.

He revealed that they received a text message informing them that they were next. “We are disturbed, the eviction of our colleagues was inhuman and unprofessional and not in line with the Christian teachings. We received a text that they will be coming to this place,” said Mr Marangu.

He said though service delivery was going on, a number of patients were worried and made inquiries before seeking medication at the hospital.

St Mary’s Nursing School Principal Francis Muthiri said the eviction had seen his students go through the darkest moments of their studies.

He said 50 students were among those evicted.