There was drama at the Nakuru War Memorial Hospital on Friday evening as a court order directing the hospital management to access the facility was being effected.
The Nakuru War Memorial Hospital staff claim the county government of Nakuru forcibly took over the management of the institution on Friday last week over a land tussle and sent goons to attack them.
The hospital staff on Friday afternoon made their way to the embattled grounds after a week of their absence since the county government took over the management of the facility.
Their visit was occasioned by a court order issued by the Environment and Lands Court in Nakuru that allowed the hospital staff to access the medical facility pending the hearing and determination of a suit.
The masked goons reportedly made their way to the hospital and scuttled the hospital staff’s quest to access the facility.
“They came covered in masks to avoid being seen, “a witness revealed.
John Ngunjiri, an auctioneer who was present at the War Memorial Hospital, said that they had all the directives and police support to conduct an assessment of the hospital.
“This is a recent directive from the Officer Commanding Police Division (OCPD). Today, the directive instructs the OCPD to oversee the War Memorial area to assess the hospital…we must come with the accessor now…” Ngunjiri said.
The court order issued on November 2, 2022, by Environment and Land Court Judge Millicent Odeny said; “An Order is hereby issued directing the Sub County Police Commander Nakuru East to enforce orders issued by this court dated October 31, 2023, to allow access to Nakuru War Memorial Hospital.”
The directive was issued after similar orders issued on October 31 were seemingly ignored and disregarded by the relevant authorities on Tuesday, making it difficult for the War Memorial Hospital staff to access the facility.
Patricia Njeri, a matron at the war hospital, decried the brutality with which the county askaris handled the matter, including deploying teargas.
“We have been waiting to return to work. In the evening, we were waiting for the OCPD to give us the order to enter. Suddenly, county askaris arrived, accompanied by three police officers from the Kenyan police, and they deployed tear gas,” Njeri said.
“Some staff members were placed in vehicles, while others were affected by the tear gas. Windows were broken, and it seemed like the attackers had no restraint.”
Nakuru East MP David Gikari condemned the actions of the county askaris and called them out for taking the law into their own hands.
“If everyone takes the law into their own hands, and the police handle people roughly, and county officers come to loot the hospital, the situation becomes unacceptable,” Gikari said.
The Nakuru War Memorial Hospital sits on a 25-acre piece of land, which is the subject of a dispute pitting the county government of Nakuru and the War Memorial Hospital owners.
