Former Murang'a Senator Kembi Gitura has resigned as Chairman of the Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital (KUTRRH) board.
In a statement on Tuesday, August 26, Gitura confirmed that he had formally stepped down from his role, which he held for close to eight months.
"I have tendered my resignation as Chairman of the Board, Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital (KUTRRH) to His Excellency the President with immediate effect, and I have thanked him for having accorded me the opportunity to serve our great nation at such a premium national institution.
"It is a wonderfully well thought out institution and I am confident it will continue to be of great service to both national and regional referral patients as it has been doing since it opened its doors in 2019 especially in the areas of cancer, kidney and heart treatment," the statement read.
Gitura expressed gratitude to the hospital’s management and board members, describing them as dedicated professionals who made his tenure worthwhile.
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"For the eight or so months that I have served as chairman, I have had the benefit of working with extremely devoted and selfless Board members and a very supportive and committed management. I wish to thank all of them collectively and each one of them individually for their commitment and support in the running of the hospital," the statement continued.
Turning to politics, Gitura distanced himself from the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) administration, stating that he has never aligned himself with the party or its policies.
"I have never supported the UDA government and I have always stood firmly and in substantial agreement although maybe at times quietly with those forces that are up against its policies for all the reasons that are now in the public domain. Although people do not like being reminded that "I told you," a large majority of those that voted for UDA now admit that we had told them they were making a mistake. They can now clearly see it for themselves and freely admit to their mistake in 2022.
"In any event, the greatest proponents against the UDA government are today those that were elected on its ticket. Their Damascus moment came much earlier than anyone would have expected it to," the statement added.
Gitura further emphasized his belief in integrity in politics and dismissed the notion that it must be guided by deception.
"I have always stood for straight forward and honest politics and I detest politics of intrigue and deceit. The general belief that politics is a dirty game is something I do not and have never subscribed to. Social change and development of a nation are premised on good politics more than anything else," the statement further read.
With the 2027 General Elections on the horizon, Gitura noted that he does not want to be misunderstood as a supporter of the UDA government.
"For the record, I do not support the UDA government policies on virtually all fronts. I do not want to mislead anyone by any of my actions, words or deeds. In 2027, each vote shall count, maybe more than at any other time before. It is my wish that everyone and anyone who knows what I stand for knows my political stand and in good time.
"I do not want to have a millstone hung around my neck and be thrown in to the depth of the sea because of anything I did or did not do, knowingly or otherwise, and therefore misled anyone by not speaking out when I could have (Mathew 18 verse 6, NKJV). In short, I do not want to continue living a lie," the statement concluded.
Gitura entered national politics in 2003 when he was elected as the Member of Parliament for Kiharu Constituency, a position he held until 2007.
After leaving Parliament, he transitioned into diplomacy and between 2009 and 2012 served as Kenya’s Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg, and the European Union.
In 2013, Gitura won the senatorial seat for Murang’a County under the Jubilee coalition, becoming the county’s first senator. He was then elected Senate Deputy Speaker.
Gitura lost the Murang’a Senate seat in the 2017 general election to Irungu Kang’ata.
Following the defeat, Gitura shifted to public administration where he was appointed chairperson of the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA).
He was later named Chairperson of the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA), a role he held until February 2022 when he resigned to contest the Murang’a Senate seat again. He was unsuccessful in that bid.
In December 2024, President William Ruto appointed him Chair of the Board of Directors at the Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital (KUTRRH) for a three-year term.
