Doctors want Nairobi Hospital board audited, shown the door

One of the entrances to The Nairobi Hospital. [Courtesy]

A section of doctors at Nairobi Hospital is calling for the removal of the current board of management and pushing for a forensic audit to expose what they describe as deep-rooted graft and tribalism at the premier medical institution. The doctors have accused the board of engaging in a conflict of interest, alleging that some members are fronting their own companies to trade with the hospital.

One of the dissenting doctors, David Otieno, told The Saturday Standard that the board chair, Chris Bichage, has been using his company, iMed Healthcare Ltd, which deals in medical equipment and supplies, to transact business with the hospital, a clear conflict of interest, according to him. 

 “These are the things happening behind the scenes, and that is why a forensic audit is necessary to expose to the world how conflicted the current board is,” said Dr Otieno.

But Dr Bichage while acknowledging his role as a director at iMed, clarified that those transactions stopped after he joined the board. He challenged Otieno to provide evidence that iMed has done any business with the hospital since he became the board chair. 

“The last time my company traded with the hospital was in 2019 before I joined the board. I stopped supplies to the hospital, and I challenge anyone to present evidence that iMed has done any business with the hospital since then,” Bichage said, dismissing the claims as attempts to tarnish his reputation.

 “The motive behind these accusations is clear: to damage my track record and paint me in a bad light. I challenge them to table their evidence,” he reiterated.

   Sharp divisions have plagued the hospital in recent months, with two rival factions fighting for control of its operations. In April this year, hospital CEO James Nyamongo reported threats to his life to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, requesting an investigation.

In a letter seen by The Saturday Standard, Nyamongo claimed that a senior colleague at the hospital had made suspicious inquiries about his movements, raising alarms. “The person (name withheld) went to the basement of the Nairobi Hospital (Anderson Building) and made suspicious inquiries about the motor vehicle I frequently use among my private vehicles parked there,” the letter stated, adding that Nyamongo believed these inquiries were part of a plot to track and harm him.

On September 25, 2023, Eric Maigo, an accountant at the hospital involved in evaluating submissions for a ICT tender was brutally murdered.

His body was found at his residence in Nairobi, bearing 25 stab wounds to the chest, neck and face, a shocking event that rattled the hospital staff and management.

Accusations of tribalism and nepotism have also surfaced, with dissenting doctors claiming skewed recruitment practices that favour one community.

“It’s there for all to see: one community is running the show from top to bottom, and this is not healthy for the hospital,” claimed Dr Edwin Rono, a maxillo-facial and oral surgeon, who is part of the group advocating for the board’s removal.

However, the hospital’s management has refuted these claims, citing a recent staff survey on ethnic representation at the institution reflected the face of Kenya.

‘‘They accuse us of hiring people from one tribe, but the numbers don’t lie,” Bichage stated during a recent media briefing.

A group of consultants who are also members of the Kenya Hospital Association, which owns the hospital, has mobilised support to oust the current board.

“This hospital used to be a trailblazer, but they are slowly killing it,” said Otieno.

“This hospital has a rich history, and we must protect its reputation. What we need now is a thorough forensic audit conducted by an international body to restore sanity,” added Dr J D Patel, another member of the dissenting group.

The current board is chaired by Bichage, a former MP, economist, and governance expert, and deputised by long-serving civil servant and former Principal Secretary Philemon Mwaisaka.

The ten-member board includes a mix of medics and other professionals, such as retired Justice Philip Waki, university professor, Herman Manyora, paediatric surgeon, Dr Fred Kambuni, Dr Magdalene Muthoka, Dr Mbira Gikonyo, Dr Barcley Onyambu, Prof John Mwero, and Geoffrey Ng’etich.