Across Kenya, the hopes of millions seeking better healthcare are crumbling under the weight of mismanagement, financial misappropriation, and persistent delays. Funds allocated to transform county health services are often misused or disappear without traceable outcomes, leaving patients and healthcare workers caught in a relentless cycle of broken promises and deteriorating facilities. Auditor General Nancy Gathungu’s 2023-24 audit report paints a grim picture of systemic failures that have obstructed the delivery of vital health services, fueling frustration in communities that depend heavily on public healthcare.
One of the most glaring examples is found in Nairobi County’s Mutuini Hospital, where a Sh169.4 million investment to complete a new outpatient complex remains largely unaccounted for. The project had already suffered delays when the original contractor abandoned the work halfway. Despite a second contractor being hired at a significantly higher cost, the building remains incomplete, and the facility remains inaccessible to the thousands of patients it was meant to serve. For many in Nairobi’s outskirts, the broken promise of improved healthcare infrastructure has only deepened their suffering, with some forced to travel long distances to access basic medical services.
In Kilifi County, another ambitious health improvement plan has faltered. The County Integrated Hospital Management Information System, budgeted at Sh31.6 million, was intended to overhaul patient care by streamlining record-keeping and financial management through a digital platform. However, only a few modules were implemented, and the rest of the system remains non-functional. Healthcare workers are left grappling with outdated, inefficient manual systems, which not only delay service delivery but also heighten the risk of errors, putting patient safety in jeopardy.
Further compounding Kilifi’s healthcare woes is the case of a CT scan machine that cost Sh75.9 million. Despite full payment made in June 2024, the machine had yet to be delivered at the time of the audit, depriving patients of crucial diagnostic services. Such procurement failures are not isolated to Kilifi. In numerous counties, medical equipment and supplies paid for remain undelivered or unused, reflecting a widespread breakdown in supply chain management and accountability.
Garissa County presents a troubling scenario where Sh107.9 million worth of drugs, intended to strengthen the region’s fragile healthcare system, disappeared into a bureaucratic void. Without proper logging or inventory, there is no clear trail of where these critical medicines ended up. Patients frequently report shortages of essential drugs, a situation that endangers lives and erodes public trust in the healthcare system.
In Wajir County, a payment of Sh156.2 million to the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) for drug supplies has led to yet another scandal. Documentation for Sh97 million worth of drugs could not be verified, suggesting significant gaps in transparency and oversight. Hospitals in Wajir, already grappling with limited resources, are now further handicapped by erratic drug supplies, worsening the health crisis facing local communities.
Residents across the affected counties voice a shared sense of betrayal. They see grand plans and sizeable budgets announced with fanfare, only to witness no tangible improvements in their local hospitals and clinics. As healthcare projects continue to stall and medical resources vanish into administrative inefficiencies, the dream of accessible, quality healthcare for all Kenyans remains distressingly out of reach. Without urgent reforms, better oversight, and genuine accountability, the plight of Kenya’s patients will only grow more desperate.
