A contingent of armed police officers was deployed to Nakuru War Memorial Hospital at night, prompting lawyer Lawrence Karanja to call for their withdrawal.
Addressing the press on October 17, Lawrence Karanja questioned why the remained days after a court ordered them and the Nakuru County Government to vacate the premises.
“We heard one Land Rover came and stayed at the gate overnight. In the morning, there was a changeover, and another Land Rover arrived. It is completely unusual because there is no security threat. The hospital has not reported any threat whatsoever.
The presence of the police here is worrying, and we are asking the county commander to withdraw the officers. They are just intimidating.”
Fresh Tension at Nakuru War Memorial Hospital
Karanja claimed Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen directed the deployment, alleging the officers themselves did not know why they were sent to the hospital.
“The Ministry of Interior, through Kipchumba Murkomen, is the one that has directed them to come here. They also don’t know what they have been sent here to do. They have been told to go ahead, but they don’t know what they are doing. However, they have followed the orders because officers are disciplined,” Karanja said.
Karanja maintained that Nakuru War Memorial Hospital was a secure facility that did not require the officers’ presence.
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Court Ruling
On October 15, Nakuru War Memorial Hospital won a major legal victory after the Environment and Land Court ruled it the rightful owner of the disputed 25- to 27-acre parcel in Milimani Estate, Nakuru.
Presided over by Justice Mugo Kamau, the court declared the land private property, overturned the cancellation of the hospital’s 50-year lease extension and ordered the Nakuru County Government to vacate the premises and withdraw its security officers.
The judge also issued a permanent injunction barring the county government from interfering with the hospital’s management and operations.
The ruling followed a prolonged legal dispute that escalated in October 2023 when the county government took over the facility. The hospital’s management had challenged the takeover in court, seeking recognition of its land ownership and orders to stop further interference with its operations.
In January 2026, former Nakuru Land Registrar Eric Nyamu testified that he cancelled the hospital’s lease title because the property had an existing bank charge. His testimony was part of the court’s examination of the contested land records.
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In July, the Office of the Attorney General defended Nyamu’s decision, with Senior State Counsel Prisca Adomeyon telling the court that the former registrar acted in good faith despite questions about the renewal of the hospital’s lease.
During the proceedings, the county government disputed the validity of the hospital’s lease and sought the cancel its title, arguing it was issued irregularly.
The court faulted the cancellation of the lease extension, which the county had de-gazetted in May 2023 without the hospital’s knowledge, and declared the move null and void.
The dispute disrupted the hospital’s operations and affected its staff and patients, with more than 300 employees reportedly losing their jobs following the closure.
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