Governor Kihika returns from maternity leave amid healthcare crisis in Nakuru
Governor Kihika now faces the dual task of proving her leadership and restoring confidence among residents who feel the healthcare system failed them during her time away.
Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika has resumed official duties after over five months on maternity leave, facing mounting criticism over her absence and a deepening crisis at the Nakuru Level Five Hospital.
Her return comes as public outrage grows over maternal deaths and a missing baby’s body, prompting calls for urgent reforms.
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Meanwhile, a court petition seeks her removal over alleged dual citizenship, casting a legal cloud over her leadership.
Kihika, who chaired her first cabinet meeting of the year on Tuesday, vowed to speed up development projects and improve service delivery.
“I chaired a Cabinet meeting to give fresh impetus and direction to service delivery and completion of development projects in the county. During the meeting, we approved a development-oriented budget for the financial year 2025/2026 and agreed on the collective effort to fast-track completion of development projects under construction,” she said.
“We are committed, through budgetary allocations and prudent planning, to improving the delivery of government services and completing development projects for the benefit of Nakuru residents,” Kihika added.
The governor, who had travelled to the United States after giving birth to twins late last year, had remained largely absent from public functions since November 2024.
Her presence had been limited to occasional social media updates showcasing county projects.
Prolonged absence
While the leave officially ended in mid-April, the silence surrounding her prolonged absence stirred criticism from governance watchdogs and members of the public.
A petition has been filed in court seeking her removal from office.
The petitioner, Peter Kuria Mwaniki, is seeking an urgent declaration from the Constitutional and Human Rights Division of the High Court that Kihika is unfit to hold office on the grounds that she holds dual citizenship, Kenyan and American.
“A declaration be issued that Kihika is not a fit and proper person with due regard to her honesty, dignity, personal integrity, and suitability, and hence, her election was inconsistent with the Constitution and invalid,” Mwaniki says in the petition.
He is also seeking an order declaring the seat of governor for Nakuru County vacant and paving the way for the swearing in of her deputy, David Kones, as the governor.
The lawsuit filed under a certificate of urgency names Kihika as the first respondent, the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party as the second respondent, and the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) as the third.
Another major issue awaiting Kihika's attention is the state of healthcare in Nakuru, with Nakuru Level Five Hospital at the centre of a growing crisis.
Residents and activists have cited the deaths of two expectant mothers and the disappearance of a baby’s body from the hospital’s mortuary as examples of a system in deep trouble.
Rescue hospital from collapse
“We are calling on Governor Kihika to take immediate action to rescue Nakuru Level Five Hospital from total collapse. The situation has gone from bad to worse,” said Jesse Karanja, chairperson of the People’s Power Watch.
“Now that Governor Kihika is back, she should urgently intervene to restore sanity in the health sector, particularly at Nakuru Level Five Hospital, where two expectant mothers have died due to what their families term as negligence by the hospital’s management.”
Among the most alarming cases is the death of Elizabeth Wairimu, who died while waiting for a transfer to the intensive care unit.
A post-mortem conducted by government pathologist, Dr Titus Ngulungu, and family pathologist, Dr Isak Abdi, pointed to respiratory failure caused by lack of oxygen.
“After examining her body, I have formed the opinion that she died due to lack of oxygen,” read the report.
Expectant mother
The case of Phyllis Juma, another expectant mother who died after being admitted to the same hospital, has also caused public anger.
These incidents have raised questions about staffing levels and the overall management of Nakuru’s main referral hospital.
Adding to the concern, a video showing patients, including elderly women, sleeping in the open at night within the hospital grounds, recently circulated widely on social media. The clip, although undated, exposed the extent of the strain facing the facility, prompting public calls for urgent reforms.
Two months ago, the facility also made headlines after a seven-month-old baby’s body disappeared from the mortuary under unclear circumstances.
The matter remains under investigation, further denting public trust in county healthcare systems.
Just days before returning to work, the governor hosted close friends and politicians at her Ngata home. But the reception back into official business has been far from celebratory, as the county’s pressing problems demand quick and visible solutions.
Governor Kihika now faces the dual task of proving her leadership and restoring confidence among residents who feel the healthcare system failed them during her time away.
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