NAIROBI, Kenya- Former Law Society of Kenya President Nelson Havi has criticised the government’s involvement in the ongoing governance dispute at The Nairobi Hospital, saying state authorities have no mandate to interfere in the management of a nongovernmental institution.
Havi’s remarks come amid public debate following statements from the State House defending President William Ruto’s role in the crisis, which has drawn responses from health professionals, legal experts and political figures.
He, however, says both the President and Head of Public Service, Felix Koskei, have no business in managing the internal affairs of the hospital.
The Government of the Republic of Kenya, the President of the Republic of Kenya and the Head of Public Service have no business interfering in the affairs and management of a nongovernmental entity. Let the Doctors and Directors of the Nairobi Hospital undertake their work
Havi’s Stand on Government Interference
“The Government of the Republic of Kenya, the President of the Republic of Kenya and the Head of Public Service have no business interfering in the affairs and management of a nongovernmental entity,” he said in a statement on X.
He urged that “the doctors and directors of The Nairobi Hospital undertake their work unhindered and without interference.”
What the State House Says
State House has defended the government’s involvement, saying President Ruto stepped in at the request of stakeholders, including doctors affiliated with the hospital, members of the Kenya Hospital Association and patients, who raised concerns about leadership disputes and possible mismanagement that they said was affecting the institution’s stability.
In a statement released on March 16, State House spokesperson Hussein Mohamed said that the government received several memoranda raising issues over board membership disputes, conflicts of interest, alleged mismanagement and ineffective internal dispute resolution mechanisms.
It said these challenges risked undermining patient care and the hospital’s operational stability.
State House also noted that consultative meetings were held over the past year, leading to the reconstitution of the hospital’s Board of Management through a process agreed by stakeholders and the adoption of a reform agenda aimed at stabilising governance ahead of a planned Annual General Meeting.
The government said the Attorney General of Kenya invoked Section 800 of the Companies Act to appoint inspectors to investigate the affairs of the Kenya Hospital Association following petitions from concerned parties.
The Broader Debate
Critics like Havi argue that State House intervention risks encroaching on the independence of a private healthcare institution.
They say internal mechanisms and judicial processes should resolve governance disputes within nongovernmental bodies.
Supporters of the government’s stance say the intervention was necessary to protect a major healthcare institution that serves thousands of patients and plays a significant role in Kenya’s health sector.
The Nairobi Hospital, founded in 1954 and one of Kenya’s leading private medical institutions, has been at the centre of leadership disputes involving membership issues and board elections that have spilled into litigation and drawn public attention.
