Inmates seeking medical care at Mbagathi County Referral Hospital will not be attended to after the facility suspended services over an unpaid debt exceeding Ksh12 million owed by the Kenya Prison Service.
According to reports on Sunday, August 24, the hospital announced that the suspension of services to prisoners took effect on August 4, 2025.
According to hospital records, the debt is linked to treatments provided to inmates over several years.
As of November 2024, the State Department for Correctional Services had already accumulated arrears of Ksh6.7 million for medical services rendered between July 2018 and November 2022.
Hospital management noted that despite repeated follow-ups, no settlement was made, leaving the institution unable to meet its operational needs.
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Officials explained that the failure to clear the obligations had strained the hospital’s ability to purchase essential supplies, forcing the suspension.
"This letter serves as a formal notification that we are suspending our services to prisoners effective Monday, 4th August, 2025," Mbagathi County Referral Hospital said in its notice.
In response, the Kenya Prison Service issued an appeal urging the hospital to reconsider its decision and allow time to resolve the issue.
"A kind appeal to your institution to lift the directive on suspension of services while KPS and the State Department for Correctional Services work on modalities of settling the outstanding obligations," said Patrick M. Aranduh, Commissioner General of Prisons.
This new development comes a day after the Narok County Referral Hospital (NCRH) issued a public notice announcing its intention to dispose of 9 unclaimed bodies.
In a notice on Saturday, August 23, NCRH gave a fourteen-day deadline for families or representatives to claim the remains.
The hospital noted that after the deadline lapses, it will seek authority from the court to dispose of the bodies.
"Narok County Referral Hospital (NCRH) hereby notifies the general public of Nine (9) unclaimed bodies lying at its Farewell Home.
"Pursuant to the Public Health Act, Cap 242 and the Public Health (Public Mortuaries) Rules, 1991, relatives are requested to identify and collect the bodies within fourteen (14) days from the date hereof. Failure to which the hospital will seek authority from the court to dispose of them," the notice stated.
The hospital noted that the unclaimed bodies are available at the NCRH farewell home.
