Murang’a Governor Irungu Kang’ata appeared before the Senate County Public Investments Committee on Friday to respond to a raft of audit queries touching on the management of public hospitals in the county.
The governor was put to task over the status of four health facilities flagged by the Auditor General for poor asset management, cash flow inaccuracies and operational inefficiencies.
Senators questioned why theatre rooms at Murang’a-Kigumo Level 4 Hospital, constructed using public funds, remain unused. They also demanded an explanation over the stalled oxygen plant at Murang’a Level 5 Hospital, which was set up at a cost of Sh188 million but has since broken down, denying patients access to critical oxygen supply.
The committee further raised concerns about the lack of a title deed for the land hosting Maragua Sub-County Level 4 Hospital. Lawmakers also cited issues of non-compliance and lack of ethnic diversity in the hospital’s board, noting that eight members were drawn from the same community.
In addition, senators queried the county’s expenditure of Sh122 million on Property, Plant and Equipment without providing a detailed breakdown of the cost per item in the hospital’s asset register.
Kandara Sub-County Hospital was also flagged for cash flow inaccuracies, with the committee seeking clarification on discrepancies in financial reporting.
In his defence, Governor Kang’ata attributed some of the challenges to delays in remittances from the Social Health Authority (SHA). He told the committee that SHA owes Murang’a County Sh268 million but has only disbursed Sh31 million, a situation he said has significantly hampered service delivery in public health facilities.
The governor pledged to address the concerns raised by senators and improve accountability and efficiency in the county’s health sector.
