Duale: Mbagathi police hospital ready but blocked by disputes and debts

A fully equipped hospital built for the National Police Service at Mbagathi is still closed due to disagreements within the police leadership and unresolved payment issues with the contractor, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has told MPs.

He said repeated efforts by the Health Ministry to operationalise the facility have failed, even as public hospitals continue to face heavy patient loads.

Appearing before the National Assembly Committee on Health on Tuesday, Duale said the government has tried several options to put the facility into use but encountered resistance from the police leadership, alongside delays linked to outstanding contractor payments.

“We suggested it be run by Force Memorial Hospital, as they could help the Kenya Police recruit personnel." The then Inspector General was infuriated, and the KDF abandoned it,” Duale told the committee chaired by Seme MP James Nyikal.

He said another proposal to have Kenyatta National Hospital take over the facility also did not move forward, despite expectations it would ease congestion at the main referral hospital.

“I advised the KNH boss not to bother,” Duale said, adding that progress has stalled.

“At some stage we have to make a decision,” he added.

Duale further told MPs that the contractor who constructed and equipped the hospital has refused to hand it over due to unpaid dues, leaving a completed facility unused.

“It is fully furnished, and something has to be done. It will look bad on us as a leadership,” he said.

He explained that the Ministry is now considering three options: converting the hospital into a county referral facility, attaching it as a satellite to Kenyatta National Hospital, or allowing the National Police Service to fully manage it for officers and their families.

“We have almost given up. It is difficult to deal with the police service,” Duale admitted.

Committee chair James Nyikal faulted the continued delay, saying it was unacceptable for a fully completed hospital to remain idle while other facilities are overstretched.

“We cannot have a facility fully equipped and lying fallow,” Nyikal said. “It does not matter who gets treated there, but let it work. We need that facility operational,” he added.

Beyond the dispute, Duale also outlined major funding gaps facing the health sector, saying the State Department for Medical Services has unfunded priorities amounting to more than Sh104.6 billion for the 2026/27 financial year.

He warned that key programmes under Universal Health Coverage risk delays if Parliament does not address the shortfall, noting the department is central to the government’s health agenda.

Among urgent needs is Sh2.3 billion for replacement of outdated kits used by community health promoters supporting primary healthcare services.

Duale also disclosed that the government owes health facilities Sh29 billion under the defunct National Health Insurance Fund scheme, adding that at least Sh10 billion is needed to prevent service disruptions.

He further said Sh2.6 billion is required to operationalise the East Africa Centre for Excellence in Urology and Nephrology.

MPs were also informed that the Kenya National Blood Transfusion Services requires Sh2.4 billion to sustain blood supplies, warning that shortages continue to affect emergency and surgical care.

He added that Sh38.1 billion is needed to maintain free essential and outpatient services at Level Two and Level Three facilities, while Sh15.9 billion is required for emergency, chronic illness, and critical care services.

National referral hospitals, he said, require Sh14.6 billion for salaries and operations, warning that specialised care could be affected if funding gaps persist.

Duale reminded MPs that the Constitution guarantees every Kenyan the right to the highest attainable standard of health, urging support for the Ministry’s budget.

“Adequate financing is essential to enable the Ministry to fully implement this guarantee,” he said.

He also reaffirmed plans to strengthen TaifaCare, expand digital health systems, improve referral services, and support local medicine manufacturing, warning that funding shortages could slow Universal Health Coverage rollout.