Nairobi Hospital boardroom battle ends as Onyambu retains chair

Nairobi Hospital. [File,Standard]

Nairobi Hospital has reconstituted its Board of Management and retained Dr Barcley Onyambu as chairman, closing out months of boardroom disputes that saw senior officials arrested and the hospital's leadership contested in court.

Kenya Hospital Association, the body that owns the hospital, announced the new 11-member board on Friday, August 28, following its Annual General Meeting (AGM) held on Tuesday, August 25.

Onyambu was re-elected chairman at the AGM, extending his hold on the top office after a turbulent 18 months marked by rival factions each claiming legitimacy over the association's leadership.

The reconstituted board also includes Samson Mbuthia Kinyanjui as vice chairman, alongside Dr Agnes Gachoki, who chairs the Medical Advisory Committee, and Dr Edwin Rono, its vice chairman.

Other members are Dr Magdalene Muthoka, Professor John Mwero, Akinyi Gaya Valerie, Anne Njuguna, Moses Ondaba, Wycliff Wanzala and Lekek Chebii.

A faction led by Manyora claimed in July 2025 that Onyambu had been removed as chairman through a board resolution, a claim the hospital rejected while insisting he remained the duly elected chairman.

The dispute moved to the courts, and the Court of Appeal handled an application in October 2025 arising from a High Court case involving the association, its board, Onyambu and senior officials.

The governance crisis also drew scrutiny from investigators, with authorities opening inquiries in 2025 into allegations of financial mismanagement and corruption at the institution, prompting the board to pledge reforms.

In March 2026, officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations arrested board members amid claims of intimidation linked to a takeover bid.

The High Court had temporarily halted the association's Annual General Meeting in February after a constitutional petition challenged aspects of the hospital's governance, delaying the vote that has now finally taken place.