As disputes over the lease extension for the Nakuru War memorial hospital land pend in court, operations at the facility appear to have grinded to a halt.

For about three months now since the Nakuru county administration made a second attempt to take over the running of the hospital, no serious activities have been going on there in terms of provision of health services.

However, the continued disobedience of court orders which has been witnessed in the case appears to have rendered the legal process impotent, as new developments which have been happening on the sides seem to be complicating the dispute even more.

For instance, the invasion of the hospital by goons immediately after the withdrawal of police officers has raised questions over the honesty among the parties in promoting the rule of law upon which they have based their arguments in their applications before court.

When the Nakuru county Police commander Mr Samuel Ndanyi appeared before court on February 8, he explained the challenge he faced in enforcing the court orders to reinstate the private management at the hospital, noting that he could not use teargas and bullets to disperse the youth since the hospital sits next to Nakuru statehouse.

But in a surprising turn of events, Mtaa Wangu has learnt that a perimeter wall has been erected around the facility, despite the presence of the goons who are said to have taken full control of the facility.

The hospital Patron Ms Patricia Musale claimed the goons whom she said had been planted by the county government, were protecting the contractor and their people as they erected the wall.

“We cannot access the hospital because of the goons who are very hostile to us but we were shocked to discover that a group of people were undertaking development on the private property under the protection of the said goons,” said Ms Musale.

Mr Steve Biko, the lawyer who is representing the county administration, said the county was taking efforts to safeguard property whose previous directors are dealing with a case in court.

In addition, the hospital reported having lost a body from the hospital morgue which was later discovered in another morgue where it had been ferried by the deceased’s family.

Over 200 HIV patients were also reported to be stranded after the hospital closed, leaving them with no alternative places to acquire the ARVs.

The civil suit lodged by the private hospital is pending hearing of an application for contempt of court against Nakuru governor Susan Kihika and County Police commander Mr Ndanyi.

Nyandarua Environment and Lands court judge Yunivalis Angina said she will hear the contempt application on priority basis.

Seven individuals who had been charged in connection with fraudulent acquisition of lease extension presented before a Nakuru court.

Photo credit: JOSEPH OPENDA/MTAA WANGU

Meanwhile, seven individuals who had been charged in connection with fraudulent acquisition of lease extension were made to plead afresh to an amended charge sheet before Chief magistrate Elizabeth Juma.

The seven include three hospital directors namely Dr Simon Mwangi, Roger Joslyn and John Malcom Bell. Others include Nyandarua speaker Stephen Wachira Waiganjo and two land officials.

They denied the charges and the court granted them the release on bond which they had been issued with when they were first charged.

The case will be mentioned on April 24.

Opendajoseph@gmail.com

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Joseph Openda