Nakuru Senator Tabitha Karanja AKA Keroche has called on the area Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) to initiate an impeachment motion against Governor Susan Wakarura Kihika over accusations of mismanagement of county government funds.
The ongoing row over the management of the War Memorial Hospital seems to be fueling the Senator’s call for impeachment of the county boss with Senator Karanja saying Kihika’s administration has failed to deliver quality healthcare to the public.
Addressing the press in Naivasha Town on Wednesday, Karanja reiterated that War Memorial Hospital secured the renewal of the lease of the 25-acre piece of land on which the facility sits, contrary to the allegations of forgery leveled against the directors.
She at the same time condemned the governor for blatantly disobeying a court order that directed the county government to surrender back the facility to its management for resumption of operations.
The Senator called out Kihika for allegedly undermining the oversight role as
signed to the county through name-calling and undermining of elected leaders terming it unfortunate.
The Nakuru War Memorial Hospital management and the Nakuru County government have been embroiled in a tussle over the 25-acre piece of land.
In October last year, the Nakuru County government took over the management of the hospital on the grounds that the management had forged documents.
Last week, patients at the hospital were forcefully transferred to the Nakuru Provisional General Hospital Annex Wing following the dispute.
The county government had sought orders to take over the hospital in 2023 but the court halted the process. The county however began the takeover process in 2024 with county askaris reportedly raiding the hospital.
The Senator claimed that the governor ordered county officers to raid the facility thereby leading to disruptions that hindered medical care and that as a result, some patients died.
‘Instead of the governor implementing any plans for the War Memorial Hospital facility,
she can just close it, being the only hospital which meets international standards equivalent to Nairobi and the Aga Khan Hospitals,’ Karanja claimed.
‘As the Senator of Nakuru County and the deputy Majority leader of the Senate, I strongly condemn the attack on the hospital by the county government. This demonstrates that we have a governor who is so inhumane and never follows the rule of law and never respects the court,’ She added.
Karanja further claimed that Kihika had laid off over 500 health workers in July last year only to replace them with incompetent ones.
Further, she blamed the governor for the disruptions affecting Mai Mahiu Hospital, Naivasha Hospital, Gilgil, and Njoro facilities noting that her actions have jeopardized the health sector in the county.
Source: Kenya News Agency