Aden Duale, Kenya’s Health Cabinet Secretary, on Monday clarified the ownership and governance structure of The Nairobi Hospital, amid ongoing public discussion about the facility’s management. Speaking at the Health Integration Summit in Mombasa, Duale stated that the hospital is owned by the Kenya Hospitals Association and is registered as a company limited by guarantee, meaning it is member-owned and has no shareholders.
“The structure of a company limited by guarantee ensures that the hospital cannot be acquired or privatised,” Duale said.
He added that the President of Kenya has traditionally served as the hospital’s patron, reflecting its historic role as a premier national and regional health facility.
Duale acknowledged that the hospital has faced governance and financial management challenges in recent months. These issues have reportedly affected the availability of essential medical supplies and caused delays in some critical surgical procedures.
“The challenges prompted long-serving doctors at the hospital to seek intervention from the President, leading the government to direct relevant authorities to investigate the situation,” he said.
The Health CS emphasised that the government’s involvement is intended to safeguard The Nairobi Hospital’s institutional status while ensuring continued delivery of quality healthcare services to Kenyans.
