Mumias East Member of Parliament (MP) Peter Salasya has expressed sadness over the closure of St Mary’s Hospital, Mumias.

In a statement released on Wednesday, November 5, 2025, Salasya regretted the closure of the said health facility, which, according to him, was an institution that served the public with dedication for the last 117 years.

”The people of Mumias and the wider Western region depended on St Mary’s for affordable and accessible healthcare services. Its collapse is not just a local tragedy but a national failure of policy and oversight. Last month, the Cabinet Secretary for Health assured the nation that the Government would clear the outstanding debt owed to the hospital through the Social Health Authority (SHA),” Salasya said.

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SHA stalemates

”However, to date, no payment has been made, and the hospital remains closed. Worse still, the doctors, nurses, and all other employees of St Mary’s Mumias have since received redundancy letters, a clear indication that the government’s promises were mere lip service,” the vocal MP added.

However, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale had earlier addressed the long-standing impasse at the facility, blaming the facility’s continued closure on the owners. Speaking on the floor of the Senate on Wednesday, October 29, 2025, Duale revealed that outstanding Social Health Authority (SHA) funds to the hospital had been paid, even as it remains closed.

Political tool

“St Mary’s has been used for many months for political expediency. I went there with the whole of my team and sat with the bishop. We showed him that SHA has paid him KSh90 M, and we gave him the TeT transfer, and the balance at the time was Ksh14 billion, which we have paid,” he said.

In his statement, Peter Salasya has noted that it is regrettable that such a historic and vital facility could deteriorate to this extent under the current administration, barely three years into office.

Peter Salasya further argued that it was not right for the government to shift from the old National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) to SHA without proper consultation.

”Sometimes, continuity of service even within a flawed system is better than reforms that cripple access to essential health care for millions,” the legislator added.

Peter Salasya went ahead to urge the Ministry of Health to urgently honour its commitment, clear all outstanding debts owed to St Mary’s Hospital, and work with local leadership to restore operations.