Kenya’s health sector is facing a tough period, with many hospitals struggling to keep their doors open due to lack of money.
One of the biggest and most important hospitals in the country, the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) in Eldoret, has now found itself deep in financial trouble.
The hospital’s management says it is weighed down by debts that have now climbed to nearly Ksh.3 billion. This crisis has left the institution unable to meet many of its obligations, forcing the leadership to only pay workers their net salaries while withholding statutory deductions like loan repayments and other mandatory contributions.
Such a move is creating more pressure on employees, who now risk penalties from financial institutions and government agencies.
The matter has drawn attention from Parliament, with Budalangi MP Raphael Wanjala, who chairs the National Assembly’s Implementation Committee, calling the situation at MTRH a serious concern that demands urgent government action.
He warned that if nothing is done quickly, the hospital could end up collapsing in the same way Moi University nearly did when it faced financial struggles.
His words highlight the level of danger that the institution is currently in, considering MTRH is the second largest referral hospital in Kenya and serves patients from across the country as well as neighboring countries.
Doctors and other health professionals are equally worried. The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU), through its North Rift Chair Dr. Jackson Mulei, has openly criticized the government’s Social Health Authority programme.
They accuse it of failing to remit enough money to health institutions, leaving hospitals unable to meet the growing demand for medical services.
According to the union, unless changes are made immediately, many hospitals, both public and private, could shut down in the next three months because they simply will not have the resources to keep operating.
For MTRH, the problems go beyond financial struggles. The hospital has been hit with accusations of violating the Employment Act by allegedly favoring one community in its hiring.
Critics claim that over 66 percent of the staff come from the Kalenjin community, which is more than double the legal requirement that no community should occupy more than 30 percent of jobs in a public institution.
This allegation has sparked debate on whether the hospital has been run in a fair and inclusive manner or whether opportunities have been locked away from other qualified Kenyans.
The crisis at MTRH paints a worrying picture for the entire health sector in Kenya. If a major referral hospital can be crippled by debt and accused of poor management, then the situation is even more dire in smaller hospitals that depend heavily on government support.
Patients are the ones who will suffer most, as fewer services will be available and the quality of care will decline.
Without urgent reforms and financial support from the government, the country risks facing a collapse in its healthcare system at a time when Kenyans need it the most.
