Two Nakuru MPs warn senator over War Memorial Hospital saga

Nakuru Town West MP Samuel Arama. [Kipsang Joseph, Standard]

Two Nakuru Members of Parliament have cautioned area Senator Tabitha Karanja to tread carefully in her oversight role.

Nakuru Town West MP Samuel Arama and his Nakuru East counterpart David Gikaria asked the senator to rethink her stand on the controversial War Memorial Hospital saga.

Speaking separately over the weekend, the two leaders urged Karanja to carefully study and understand the issues surrounding the hospital's land dispute before rushing to conclusions.

Arama said the issues surrounding the 25-acre piece of land hosting the hospital should be handled with sobriety lest it create serious conflicts in the county.

"I want to advise my sister Senator Keroche to tread carefully. She needs to understand that what Governor Kihika is doing is for the benefit of the people of Nakuru. It is a public issue that requires her assistance as the senator," he said.

Gikaria accused the senator of being ignorant of the facts around the land, saying she needs to consult widely before making wild claims against the governor.

"Our senator needs to consult on issues around the War Memorial Hospital land and avoid engaging in guesswork on serious matters. She should work within her oversight mandate and avoid being antagonistic," he said.

Their remarks came just a day after the Senate Committee on Health wrote to Governor Susan Kihika and the hospital's management to furnish it with ownership documents.

Senator Tabitha Karanja. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

The committee is seeking to understand the prolonged closure of the hospital and the control of the premises by the county security officials despite court orders.

It further seeks to understand whether the county government will compensate the hospital for the forceful closure and illegal occupation.

The move comes as the wrangles between the county and the hospital management persist with the latter accused of ignoring six court orders.

Last week, Chief Justice Martha Koome hit out at the county government for disobeying court orders after it emerged that judges handling the case had been threatened.

The senator said the committee was keen to get information from all parties on the hospital that has been in the news for the wrong reasons.

She revealed that she filed a petition before the Senate after the county took over the facility that has for years treated dialysis patients.

Addressing the Press last Sunday, Karanja, who has been vocal on the hospital saga noted that over 300 workers had lost their jobs due to the wrangles.

She termed the hospital as critical to the health sector and vowed to continue fighting for its opening to end the suffering of patients.

The senator pointed an accusing finger at Governor Kihika and the County Police commander for the continued closure of the hospital.

She warned hat failure to obey court orders spelt doom for the country and had set a bad precedent and eroded investors' confidence.