The Senate Committee on Health has now summoned Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika over the ongoing saga around War Memorial Hospital in Nakuru.
With services in the hospital paralyzed for the second month running, the Senate has called on all parties involved to furnish them with the ownership documents.
The move comes as the wrangle between the county and the hospital management continued with the latter accused of ignoring six court orders.
Last week, Chief Justice Martha Koome hit out at the County’s top officers for continued disobedience of court orders as it emerged that judges handling the case had been threatened.
According to Nakuru Senator Tabitha Karanja Keroche, the committee was keen to get information from all parties over the hospital that has been in the news for the wrong reasons.
She said that she had filed a petition to the Senate after the county took over the facility that has for years treated dialysis patients.
“All parties involved in this saga including the Governor have been summoned by the Senate so that the truth can be known,” she said.
Addressing the press, Karanja who has been vocal over the hospital noted that over 300 workers had lost their jobs due to the wrangles.
She termed the hospital as critical to the health sector adding she would continue fighting for its opening so that the suffering of patients could end.
The Senator pointed an accusing finger at Governor Susan Kihika and County Police commander for the continued closure of the hospital.
“I was shocked when the Governor met religious leaders and openly and without shame lied about the hospital which continues to remain in the hands of goons,” she said.
The Senator warned that failure to obey court orders spelt doom for the country adding that this had set a bad precedent and eroded investors’ confidence.
“As a senator for Nakuru, I am afraid that my people’s frustrations have reached fever pitch point and I can feel their frustration.”
“If nothing is urgently done to bring back our county to the rule, I am afraid our people have been left with no options than to exercise the power given to them by article One of the Constitution,” she said.
Last week, a group of men raided the hospital’s mortuary and stole a body that had been held in the facility over a debt of over Sh0.9m.
By Antony Gitonga