State House defends Ruto's role in Nairobi Hospital crisis

A photo illustration of The Nairobi Hospital and President William Ruto. [File, Standard]

The government has defended its direct involvement in the ongoing dispute over the management of Nairobi Hospital, which led to the arrest of four board members last Friday.

In a statement, State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohamed confirmed President William Ruto's hand in the recent developments, saying he was acting in his capacity as patron of the Kenya Hospital Association (KHA), which runs the hospital, and in response to numerous petitions from stakeholders.

The president's office said staff, patients, and KHA members had raised concerns over persistent leadership wrangles, alleged conflicts of interest, mismanagement, and failed attempts to resolve disputes that had since spilled into the courts.

"Subsequently, and following petitions from concerned members of the Association and medical practitioners, the Attorney General invoked Section 800 of the Companies Act to appoint inspectors to investigate the affairs of the Kenya Hospital Association," Mohamed said.

"The team submitted its report to the Attorney General on March 6, 2026, after which appropriate directions were issued to the relevant agencies for further action in accordance with the law," he added.

Friday's dramatic arrests were the culmination of a behind-the-scenes operation involving a multi-agency team comprising the Business Registration Service, the Asset Recovery Agency, the Kenya Revenue Authority, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, the National Intelligence Service, and the Financial Reporting Centre.

Following the detention of board members Dr. Job Obwaka, Samson Kinyanjui, Chris Bichage, and Valarie Akinyi, it emerged that President Ruto's Chief of Staff, Felix Koskei, had actively pushed for changes to the board in the days prior.

State House, however, maintained that Koskei's role over the past year had been to mediate between the disputing parties, though the consultative meetings ultimately proved futile.

"In total, no fewer than fourteen meetings were held," Mohamed said.

While doctors' unions decried what they termed the persecution and intimidation of medical professionals, the president's office insisted the intervention was necessary to save an institution it described as critical to the country's health sector.

Nairobi Hospital has been at the centre of several recent controversies, including a major standoff with health insurance companies over sudden price hikes in August last year, and ongoing claims of financial mismanagement.