Kiambu Senator Karungo wa Thang'wa has warned his governor, Kimani Wamatangi, that area residents were struggling to access quality services at the Gatundu Level 5 Hospital due to underfunding.
In a statement released on January 18, the senator attributed the lack of investment at the facility to the revocation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) by the governor and the Ministry of Health.
"Governor Wamatangi's administration has repeatedly shown a chilling lack of commitment to implementing the MoU. This refusal has not only cost Gatundu Level 5 the Kshs500 million grant but also resulted in its exclusion from the Ministry of Health's listings under Executive Order No. 2 of 2023," he stated.
Thang'wa further alleged that the National Treasury Principal Secretary Chris Kiptoo confirmed that the conditional grant from the national government was revoked and snatched away.
The funding was meant for an initiative project championed by former President Uhuru Kenyatta before the end of his second tenure.
Uhuru launched the project of setting up an Annex building of the university branch.
Thang'wa also attributed the revocation to the withdrawal of Kenyatta University Teaching Referral & Research Institute (KUTRRH) from partnering with the hospital in Gatundu, the primary reason for the latter to receive the funds.
"KUTRRH's withdrawal from Gatundu Level V hospital stems from the Kiambu County Government's apparent reluctance or disinterest in implementing the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) forged between the Ministry of Health and the County Government of Kiambu," the Senator claimed.
"The consequences of this inaction are stark and tragic. Lives have been lost, including that of beloved Kikuyu musician Dick Munyonyi, who spent four agonizing days at the facility without proper care, a stark testament to the human cost of Governor Wamatangi's negligence," he added.
Thang'wa, nonetheless, implored Governor Wamatangi to pronounce himself on the matter and improve the state of the hospital.
Responding to the incident a Kiambu government official who spoke to Kenyans.co.ke on condition of anonymity, claimed that the funds had been released and that the Senator was pushing baseless allegations.
"There has been a political wrangle between the two leaders and that is well known to the public. Gatungu Hospital is fully operational and the funds have been received," he stated.
Meanwhile, the senator's allegation comes just a day after Ministry of Health principal secretary Henry Kimutai wrote a letter to his Treasury counterpart Chris Kiptoo on the reinstatement of the hospital funding.
In the letter dated January 17, PS Kimtai noted that KUTRRH still maintained a collaborative agreement with Gatundu Level V Hospital.
PS Kimutai added that the county government had two memorandums between the Ministry of Health and the County Government of Kiambu.
He also clarified that the three partners have been working side by side to ensure proper service delivery to the people of Kiambu.
