Operations at St Mary’s Hospital in Lang’ata were brought to a halt on Friday, December 19, after a group of men allegedly forced their way into the facility, sparking chaos and leaving patients stranded.
Videos circulating online show the men welding metal doors shut, breaking into staff residential quarters, shutting down the hospital’s central administration offices and attempting to block access to the facility.
The group was reportedly accompanied by Dr William Charles Fryder, who claims to be the founder and rightful owner of the hospital. Fryder says the hospital was built with donor support but was later taken over by individuals he accuses of sidelining him under unclear circumstances.
“We created this hospital. Another group, unfortunately, grabbed it under questionable circumstances,” Fryder said amid the standoff.
Tensions flared as Fryder confronted the current hospital leadership, with heated exchanges unfolding as services ground to a stop. Hospital management questioned the legality of the takeover, insisting there were no court orders authorising the actions witnessed on Friday.
“We have not been served with any court order. When we arrived, we found people breaking into offices and welding doors, locking out those who have been running the hospital,” said Wanja Wambugu, an advocate representing St Mary’s Hospital.
Documents presented by Fryder show that he left Nazareth Mission Hospital in 1995 and went on to establish St Mary’s Hospitals. In 1997, he acquired 10 acres of land in partnership with the Assumption Sisters of Nairobi, and the hospital was officially licensed in 2000 under St Mary’s Mission Hospital, Nairobi Limited.
However, the ownership dispute deepened in 2010 when a new company was registered to run the hospital, excluding Fryder’s name, a move that lies at the heart of the ongoing conflict.
St Mary’s Hospital plays a critical role in Lang’ata and its environs, serving between 800 and 1,000 outpatients daily and recording more than 900 deliveries each month.
Friday’s disruption had immediate and painful consequences for patients. With medical staff locked out and services suspended, some patients were left unattended. One caregiver broke down as she described her frustration, saying her patient urgently needed admission to the Intensive Care Unit.
“The senior doctor said he should be in the ICU right now. Why should the patient remain in bed without treatment because of these wrangles?” she asked.
As of Friday evening, the hospital’s future remained uncertain, with patients, staff and the wider community caught in the middle of a bitter ownership dispute that has now spilled into the wards.
