Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has addressed concerns over the ownership and governance of Nairobi Hospital.

Speaking during the Health Integration Summit in Mombasa County on Monday, March 16, 2026, Aden Duale sought to clarify the hospital’s legal and administrative status.

The CS explained that Nairobi Hospital operates under a unique membership-based structure and is not privately held, which has recently faced operational challenges affecting service delivery.

“Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has clarified the ownership and governance status of Nairobi Hospital, stating that the facility is owned by the Kenya Hospitals Association and registered as a company limited by guarantee, meaning it is member-owned and has no shareholders,” a statement by the Health Ministry stated.

He further outlined the historical role of the President in the hospital’s governance, emphasising the institution’s significance to both national and regional healthcare.

“Speaking during the Health Integration Summit in Mombasa County today, the CS explained that the President of Kenya has traditionally served as Patron of the Hospital, reflecting its longstanding role as a premier national and regional health facility,” part of the Ministry of Health’s statement reads.

Duale acknowledged recent challenges at the facility, which have affected the availability of key health commodities and delayed some critical procedures.

“He acknowledged that the hospital has recently faced governance and financial management challenges, which have affected the availability of essential health commodities and led to delays in some critical surgical procedures,” the statement reads.

He said the intervention of the Government followed requests from concerned long-serving doctors and was aimed purely at stabilising hospital operations.

“The CS noted that concerned long-serving doctors sought the intervention of the President, prompting the Government to direct the relevant authorities to undertake investigations into the situation,” the statement reads.

Duale emphasised that government involvement does not change the hospital’s ownership status and is focused solely on safeguarding healthcare delivery.

“He emphasised that government involvement is solely intended to safeguard the hospital’s status and ensure the continued delivery of quality healthcare services,” the statement clarified.

Finally, the CS reassured the public that Nairobi Hospital remains a member-owned institution and cannot be sold or privatised.

“Further, the CS clarified that as a company limited by guarantee with no shareholding structure, Nairobi Hospital cannot be acquired or privatised,” the statement reads.