A section of doctors at Nairobi Hospital has distanced itself from a group of medics who recently sought President William Ruto’s intervention over issues at the facility.
Speaking on Thursday, the hospital’s Medical Advisory Committee said the group did not follow the proper internal channels before reaching out to the President.
The committee, which represents about 730 consultants, accused some members of the admitting staff of bypassing agreed communication structures and sharing what it described as misleading information.
Committee chairperson Agnes Gachoki said the hospital has a clear system for handling concerns, starting from departmental discussions before matters are escalated to the central committee.
“Each division has regular meetings where issues are discussed. These are then brought to the medical advisory committee for further discussion and a way forward,” she said.
Dr Gachoki said the five doctors who met the President ignored this process and instead chose to raise their concerns directly, a move the committee says undermined how the hospital is run.
“These members did not follow the proper channels laid out for communication, either internally or through the board,” she added.
The matter comes at a time when the hospital is facing increased scrutiny over its leadership and management.
Earlier, State House confirmed that President Ruto had been briefed on the situation and had called for transparency in addressing governance and financial concerns at the facility.
Reports indicate that complaints from doctors, patients and members of the Kenya Hospital Association had raised concerns about how the hospital is being managed and its long-term stability.
The situation worsened last week after several senior board members were arrested over alleged governance issues.
Those arrested included board chairman Dr Job Obwaka, vice chairman Samson Kinyanjui, former chairman Dr Chris Bichange and director Valery Gaya. They were later released on a bond of KSh5 million each.
They are facing accusations linked to conflict of interest, failure to release financial records and alleged irregular dealings involving an insurance agency connected to the hospital.
Despite the ongoing tensions, the Medical Advisory Committee has assured the public that services at the hospital are still running.
Dr Gachoki said about 80 per cent of services are continuing as usual, even as efforts to address the internal issues go on.
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