Nakuru County has clarified that no infants were detained at the Nakuru County Referral and Teaching Hospital (NCRTH) over unpaid medical bills. The statement, shared on Saturday, September 6, 2025, by County Health Executive Roselyn Mungai via Aden Duale, called the claims “entirely false.”
The controversy arose after a report suggested some children were being held at NCRTH because their parents could not pay hospital fees. The county health department quickly dismissed these allegations, confirming that no such detentions occurred.
“Our attention has been drawn to misleading information claiming that infants were detained at NCRTH over unpaid bills. We want to set the record straight: this is completely false,” the statement said.
NCRTH recently hosted a paediatric surgery camp in collaboration with the State Department of Health to address a backlog of children needing specialised procedures. Specialists from Kenyatta National Hospital, Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, Tenwek Hospital, and Kajiado County Referral Hospital worked alongside local medical teams from September 1 to 5, 2025.
During the camp, 112 children under the age of five successfully underwent surgery. So far, 81 children have been discharged: 18 on Thursday, 44 on Friday, and 19 on Saturday. The remaining 31 children are scheduled for discharge over the weekend and Monday, following mandatory post-operative observation.
Mungai emphasised that the Social Health Authority fully covered all medical costs during the camp. She noted that all patients stayed only as long as required for safe recovery, in line with Ministry of Health guidelines.
“No child has been detained at NCRTH. We urge the public to disregard the misleading report and instead recognise the dedication of the medical teams who restored the health and dignity of these children,” Mungai said.
