Kitui County Government has accused former Governor Charity Ngilu of disrupting operations at Kitui Level 4 Hospital after she allegedly entered the facility without following the required administrative procedures.
Kitui County Executive Committee Member for Health Ruth Koki condemned the incident on September 8, saying political interests should not be brought into the provision of essential healthcare services.
“It is completely unacceptable for political figures to drag partisan politics into critical health matters concerning the well-being of Kitui residents,” Koki said.
Kitui County Faults Charity Ngilu Over Alleged Hospital Disruption
The county said Ngilu’s actions affected the care of 19 patients and raised concerns about interference in the management of public health facilities.
She warned that the county government would not allow actions that interfere with patient care, hospital operations or established regulations governing public health facilities.
The Health Department said all visitors, including political leaders and other public figures, are expected to comply with procedures governing access to and operations within county hospitals.
The county government maintained that its priority is to protect patients and ensure public health facilities operate in an orderly and safe environment.
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Storm in the Hospital
In a statement on September 9, Ngilu questioned the continued detention of patients at a facility meant to provide medical care, saying the situation was unacceptable.
“So they want us to stand by and watch as our people die in a hospital that is supposed to be saving lives? Surely!” Ngilu
Charity Ngilu made an unannounced visit to Kitui County Referral Hospital on September 6, where she toured the maternity wing and raised concerns about the conditions at the facility.
During the visit, Ngilu alleged that up to four mothers and their newborns were sharing a single bed and that the hospital was facing shortages of essential medical supplies and drugs.
She also encountered several teenage mothers who, according to her, had remained at the hospital for up to three months after failing to clear their medical bills.
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According to Ngilu, she had paid the outstanding bills to facilitate their release.
The intervention was followed by a brief standoff at the hospital’s main gate after security officers reportedly attempted to prevent the mothers and their babies from leaving, citing “orders from above.”
Ngilu and her team intervened at the gate, after which the mothers and their newborns were allowed to leave the facility.
“Even after clearing all the medical bills for the teenage mothers detained at Kitui Referral Hospital and having them released from the wards, security at the main gate had reportedly been ordered to keep the mothers and babies locked in, acting on “orders from above. We walked straight to the gate and personally saw the young mothers and their children set free,” she said.
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