Senator raises alarm over deteriorating mental health services at Mathari Hospital
By Ndiritu Wanjiru, April 29, 2026Tharaka-Nithi Senator Mwenda Gataya has sounded the alarm over the deteriorating state of mental healthcare services at Mathari National Teaching and Referral Hospital, urging the Senate Standing Committee on Health to intervene urgently.
In a statement on their social media handles on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, the parliament noted that, in a formal statement to the Senate, the lawmaker described a deepening crisis at the country’s main psychiatric referral facility and warned that patients continue to face significant challenges in accessing quality and dignified care.
“Sen. Mwenda Gataya Mo’Fire (Tharaka Nithi) has called on the Senate Standing Committee on Health to urgently address the deteriorating state of facilities at the Mathari National Teaching and Referral Hospital. In a statement, the senator raised concern over what he described as a deepening crisis in the provision of mental healthcare services at the country’s premier psychiatric referral facility,” Parliament noted.
Despite the constitutional guarantee under Article 43 on the right to the highest attainable standard of health, Gataya has noted that conditions at the hospital remain dire. He cited dilapidated infrastructure, chronic overcrowding, and severe bed shortages as major obstacles undermining effective service delivery.
The senator further raised concern over an acute shortage of mental health professionals, noting that overstretched staff are struggling to meet patient needs, thereby compromising the timeliness and quality of care.
To enhance accountability, Gataya has called on the committee to table a comprehensive breakdown of the hospital’s budget for the 2025/2026 financial year. This includes allocations for infrastructure upgrades, staffing, medication, and patient welfare.
Call for long-term interventions
The senator is also seeking clarity on both immediate and long-term interventions to tackle congestion and inadequate bed capacity, including plans to refurbish or replace dilapidated facilities.
On staffing, the lawmaker has requested detailed data on the number of psychiatrists at the facility, the patient-to-specialist ratio, and measures being implemented to strengthen human resource capacity.
Additionally, Gataya highlighted the growing number of patients who remain at the hospital despite being clinically discharged, attributing the situation to family abandonment. He is demanding data on such cases and strategies to support their reintegration into society.
The senator further pushed for a clear policy direction on establishing fully functional psychiatric units in public hospitals across all counties, arguing that decentralisation would ease pressure on Mathari and improve nationwide access to mental healthcare.
The matter now awaits consideration by the Senate Standing Committee on Health.