Intrigues deepen as St Mary's Hospital Mumias acknowledges payment from SHA

Many people in the larger western Kenya region are yet to come to terms with the reality that St Mary's Hospital, Mumias, is no longer in operation. It has become a feature in their lives, and most of the people in its vicinity have never had need for another hospital. Established in 1908, the hospital closed its doors in July this year following what many believed was a failure by the Social Health Authority (SHA) to remit funds to the hospital. 

The closure of the hospital has generated controversy, with a section of leaders and the public accusing President William Ruto and his administration of looking the other way while corruption in the Ministry of Health continues to cripple health facilities across the country. Since its rollout in October 2024 to replace the now-defunct National Health Insurance Fund, SHA has refused to take off amid public uproar over its dysfunctionality. 

Prime Cabinet Mudavadi last month accused some politicians of misleading Kenyans over the closure of St.Mary's Hospital, arguing that the facility closed its doors due to mismanagement and not unpaid claims by SHA.

Bishop Joseph Obanyi of the Kakamega Diocese, which manages St Mary’s hospital, insisted from the outset that SHA had paid Sh9 million out of a claim of Sh143 million the hospital had submitted. While speaking at Malava, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi came to the defense of SHA and blamed the closure of St Mary's on mismanagement. Obanyi, however, disputed this claim and maintained that only Sh 9 million had been paid. 

"The hospital put forward a claim of Sh117 million under the SHA programme, and so far, they have received Sh82 million in payment. The government, through the Ministry of Health, has the records, and I am a witness. I have a copy of the records. If they want to dispute and bring on an argument, I am ready to produce the evidence of what they received in November and December last year and the subsequent payments under the SHA programme", said Mudavadi.

This assertion contradicted an earlier claim by Obanyi. "We have received Sh9 million designated for the renal unit, and therefore the hospital has not received any money that we can say has come from the claims made to SHA," said Obanyi. "Talking about the Sh82 million that has been disbursed and that the hospital is still closed is pure politics. This is not the government hospital. It is a mission hospital that serves the poor".

Last week, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale visited Kakamega and held discussions with officials from SHA, the Ministry of Health and Obanyi at Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa's office. Later, during a press conference after the meeting, Obanyi changed tune and admitted that SHA had, indeed, made remittances to the hospital.

"From December 2024 to August 2025, SHA has disbursed to us Sh98,671,567. There is a pending Sh 35 million we expect from SHA, which we hope will be able to help us clear the arrears of the workers.

Obanyi's change of tune has left many confused, wondering why, after meeting Duale, he suddenly acknowledged the payment he had earlier denied. And despite finally acknowledging receipt of payment from SHA, Obanyi did not give any indication of when, or whether the hospital will resume operations any time soon.

On Wednesday, St Mary's is deserted save for security guards who occasionally open the locked gates to let in renal patients to undergo dialysis sessions. Only the Renal, Comprehensive Care Unit and the mortuary are operational because they are contracted and operate independently from the main hospital.

A worker we interviewed at the hospital, and who requested anonymity, said the problem at St Mary's was never about SHA. 

"SHA has been remitting money regularly. The problem is managerial. When the administrator who caused workers to go on strike was at Mukumu Hospital, there was similar industrial action". 

All the renal patients we found at the facility acknowledged that SHA indeed paid for their dialysis, and they did not have to pay anything. Since its establishment, St.Mary's Mumias Hospital Mumias has gained a reputation for excellence and competent service, serving patients from Kakamega, Vihiga, Bungoma, Busia counties and beyond, complementing public health facilities in offering health services.

Beyond the closure of a hospital that has operated for 117 years lies the loss of jobs for hundreds of workers who relied on the facility for a living. On July 1, 2025, over 200 hospital staff received email notifications from the Human Resources department telling them not to report for work until further notice. 

The abrupt closure was occasioned by a strike by workers who had gone for four months without salaries. Residents and many people who have benefited from St Mary's Hospital have called for its reopening. Since its closure, the patients who mostly relied on the facility have been forced to travel long distances to look for treatment either in Kakamega or Bungoma.

Alex Situma, a worker at the nearby St Mary's girls, says, "Students from Peter's Boys and St Mary's Girls secondary schools that share fences with the hospital are feeling the pinch of the closure most. They are forced to seek medical attention elsewhere , yet they were used to being treated here". 

Those who cannot afford to seek help in hospitals have resorted to self-medication. “The closure of St Mary's hospital has diverted traffic to pharmacies."Many people who cannot afford services in expensive private hospitals or cannot afford to travel to Bungoma or Kakamega have resorted to self-medication. Many simply go for over-the-counter medication whenever they fall sick", says Nelson Oduor, a resident.

Small-scale businesses thrived while the hospital was operational, but many have since dried up or closed. "Mama mboga, fruit sellers and shop owners who used to benefit from the huge traffic into and out of the hospital hardly make sales nowadays,” Patrick Atsachi says.