The wrangles at the Nairobi Hospital has taken a different turn after the board of management replaced the chief executive officer (CEO) saying his contracts had transpired.
With the appointment of Felix Osano as the acting CEO of the hospital, comes against the background of a tiff between the management and the board.
However, the board chair Chris Bichage defends the appointment Mr Osano, who has been serving at the hospital as director supply chain, was effected after Mr Nyamogo contract had expired on December 6, 2024.
According to Bichage, the former CEO James Nyamogo employment contract had expired on December 6, 2024 and the board did not wish to renew it.
The replacement of the CEO was made after the new board members had been elected. In the past, the board and senior management staff have had several wrangles, including disputes over leadership, procurement, and tender rigging.
These wrangles in the premier hospital started in April 2024. In September 2024, a few members of the Kenya Hospital Association (KHA) disclosed that doctors working at the hospital were frustrated and wanted the institution back on its feet under the new management.Members called for the overhaul of the board of management citing corruption, mismanagement, and underhand dealings in the hospital.
In October 2024, some members of the KHA had accused the board of trying to borrow Ksh4.2 billion despite the hospital making profits and being financially sound.
By June, 2024, the board said the money borrowed would be used to buy media equipment, worth Ksh2.4 billion, Ksh970.4 million for equipment maintenance, Ksh501.2 million for software, Ksh215.8 million for furniture and fittings, Ksh50.1 million for software, Ksh41.8 million for vehicles and Ksh19.2 million for infrastructure improvements.
In 2020, some members of the KHA tried to oust the hospital’s directors but the hospital blocked the ouster, claiming the meeting was in breach of rules.Some members of the KHA have criticized the leadership and management of the hospital, including the failure to follow the hospital’s Articles of Association.
The board had been accusing Mr Nyamongo of exposing the corruption networks to the hospital workers thereby causing a commotion. Bichange on the other hand accused the previous board of attempting to engineer a coup to oust the current board.
Bichage says some of the people who had been accused of corruption for engineering to get rid of the current board. He alleges that the previous board whose tenure ended in 2019 is yet to accept its tenure expired and was inciting the staff against the board.
