Leadership wrangles at The Nairobi Hospital have escalated, with two rival factions within the hospital’s board now laying claim to the chairmanship, further deepening the governance crisis at one of Kenya’s top private health institutions.
The dispute has pitted a faction led by governance analyst Herman Manyora against another led by Dr. Barcley Onyambu, with the two camps locked in a bitter standoff over control of the board.
At the heart of the row is a leadership retreat that took place on July 4th in Naivasha, which Manyora’s team claims was conducted in defiance of a court order.
According to Manyora, a court order issued on July 3rd halted the planned retreat, but Dr. Onyambu’s faction allegedly went ahead with the meeting regardless. “The court was clear,” said Manyora. “Yet they chose to ignore the directive, and that shows blatant disregard for the rule of law.”
However, Dr. Onyambu has denied any wrongdoing, dismissing reports of a leadership change within the board and insisting that there is no crisis. “There has been no leadership change as alleged online. The board continues to function as mandated, and there is no cause for alarm,” Onyambu said.
Despite the internal wrangles, both factions have moved to assure Kenyans that healthcare services at the facility remain uninterrupted. “Operations at the hospital continue smoothly. The integrity and excellence of medical care are not in any way affected by these boardroom disagreements,” read a joint statement from both camps.
The matter is expected to be mentioned in court on July 9th, where clarity over the legality of the Naivasha retreat and the true leadership of the hospital board may begin to emerge.
This latest leadership spat adds to a series of governance issues that have plagued The Nairobi Hospital in recent years, raising concerns about long-term institutional stability even as it continues to serve thousands of patients across the country.
