Advertisement

Senate grills governor Kahiga over management failures at 4 health facilities

Senate grills governor Kahiga over management failures at 4 health facilities
Nyeri governor Mutahi Kahiga appearing before Senate County Public Investment and Special Funds Committee at Bunge Towers, Monday, February 17, 2026.PHOTO/https://www.facebook.com/ParliamentKE/FACEBOOK

The Senate has put Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga on the spot over the management failure in 4 health facilities within Nyeri County, ordering the governor to immediately implement the Facility Improvement Financing (FIF) framework.

Speaking at Bunge Towers, Tuesday, February 17, 2026, in a session with the governor, the Senate County Public Investment and Special Funds Committee has put Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga have questioned the management of four key health facilities within the county.

The committee, chaired by Senator Godfrey Osotsi, met to interrogate the Auditor General’s report for the 2024/2025 financial year. The probe focused on Nyeri County Referral Hospital, Mt. Kenya Sub-County Hospital, Mukurue-ini Sub-County Hospital, and Karatina Sub-County Hospital.

Senator Godfrey Osotsi expressed alarm that hospitals were still remitting funds to the County Revenue Fund (CRF).

“Governor, why are these hospitals still remitting revenue to the CRF instead of keeping it in their own accounts as the law demands? By failing to implement the FIF, you are essentially drawing money from these facilities that should be used for medicines. We are telling you: let the hospitals be,” Osotsi remarked.

Nyeri governor Mutahi Kahiga appearing before Senate County Public Investment and Special Funds Committee at Bunge Towers, Monday, February 17, 2026.PHOTO/https://www.facebook.com/ParliamentKE/FACEBOOK

The Senate also noted that in a report by the Auditor General, cross-cutting failures across these facilities have been revealed. Issues included unsupported medical revenue, inventory gaps in drug stores, and procurement irregularities. The hospitals also faced severe staff shortages and lacked functional Boards of Management to provide critical oversight.

The committee’s focus remained on the Facility Improvement Financing (FIF) framework. Under the FIF Act, revenue generated by hospitals should be retained at the source to ensure optimal operations of public health facilities and effective service delivery. This allows hospitals to manage their own operations without waiting for the county executive.

Nyeri governor Mutahi Kahiga appearing before Senate County Public Investment and Special Funds Committee at Bunge Towers, Monday, February 17, 2026.PHOTO/https://www.facebook.com/ParliamentKE/FACEBOOK

In his defence, Governor Mutahi Kahiga defended the delay, citing administrative transitions.

“My administration is committed to the FIF Act. We are currently ensuring that proper accounting structures and boards are robust enough to handle these funds independently before full handover. We seek to ensure accountability, not to withhold resources, “Governor Mutahi said.

The committee, however, was not satisfied with the governor’s response to these excuses and issued a directive that the Facility Improvement Financing be implemented immediately to ensure all hospital revenue is retained and managed at the facility level.

Author

Ndiritu Wanjiru

N.W.

View all posts by Ndiritu Wanjiru

For these and more credible stories, join our revamped Telegram and WhatsApp channels.
Advertisement