Standoff over unpaid contractor fees leaves Sh1.2 billion police hospital in Mbagathi lying idle

Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu has criticised the government for leaving a modern police hospital in Mbagathi to lie idle due to a financial standoff over unpaid dues to the contractor.

The Sh1.2 billion National Police Service Level IV Hospital, which is fully equipped and staffed, has been inactive for over a year, with Sh833.6 million still owed to the contractor.

The delay in the hospital’s opening stems from a dispute over the final payment.

According to Gathungu’s 2023/2024 Audit report, only Sh400 million was paid at the start of the construction, leaving the remaining Sh833.6 million unpaid.

“The construction and equipping of the hospital were completed in the 2022/2023 financial years. Despite the hospital being fully finished and the recruitment of hospital staff having started, the hospital was not operational at the time of the audit in November last year,” Gathungu said.

The hospital, which is fully equipped and staffed, has been lying idle while police officers have suffered due to a consortium of insurance companies halting medical services. The stoppage followed the National Police Service’s failure to remit a Sh5 billion premium.

The police hospital is intended to provide medical services exclusively to members of the disciplined services, similar to the Armed Forces Memorial Hospital for military personnel.

On May 17, 2024, the hospital was officially handed over by the then Defence CS Adan Duale to then Interior and National Administration CS Kithure Kindiki.

At the end of March 2025, a meeting was held at the Department of Defence (DoD) headquarters between officials from the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Interior and National Administration to review the opening of the facility.

The meeting, led by Defence Cabinet Secretary Soipan Tuya and Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, resulted in the decision to establish a committee to resolve the issue of pending payments and the hospital’s opening.

Request declined

However, attempts by the contractor to have the DoD, which supervised the construction until the 2022/2023 financial year, take responsibility for the debt were declined.

Once operational, the facility is expected to provide healthcare services to the National Police Service (NPS), Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), and their dependents. To facilitate its full operationalisation, a Joint Ministry of Defence-NPS Technical Committee (JTC) was established.

“The status of the National Police Service Level IV Hospital in Mbagathi was reviewed. A Joint MOD-NPS Technical Committee was established to ensure its full operationalization,” Tuya said after the meeting.

Among those present during the meeting were the Chief of the Defence Forces General Charles Kahariri, Principal Secretaries Patrick Mariru (Defence) and Raymond Omollo (Interior), Vice Chief of the Defence Forces Lieutenant General John Omenda, Commander of the Kenya Army Lieutenant General David Tarus, and Inspector General of the National Police Service Douglas Kanja.

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KDF spokesperson Brigadier Paul Njuguna confirmed the establishment of a joint committee to review the status of the hospital.

“There is an ongoing discussion on the hospital. A joint committee is reviewing how the matter is progressing,” Njuguna said.

Another facility facing similar delays is the Border Police Unit camp hospital in Kanyonyo, Kitui County.

The 130-bed level IV hospital, meant to cater to police officers injured in militia-prone areas, was constructed through welfare fund contributions from administration police officers. Though it was commissioned in 2023 by President William Ruto, it is yet to become operational.