- Mbagathi Hospital suspended prisoner medical services over a KSh12 M debt.
- Suspension began on August 4, 2025.
- Debt linked to treatments offered since 2018, with Ksh6.7M already pending by 2022.
- KPS has appealed for the hospital to lift the suspension as they seek a solution.
- Separately, Narok Hospital announced plans to dispose of 9 unclaimed bodies if not collected in 14 days.
Inmates seeking treatment at Mbagathi County Referral Hospital will no longer get medical services after the facility suspended care due to an unpaid bill of over Ksh12 million owed by the Kenya Prison Service.
The hospital confirmed that the suspension took effect on Monday, August 4, 2025.
Hospital records show that the debt dates back several years. By November 2024, the State Department for Correctional Services had already accumulated Ksh6.7 million in arrears for services offered between July 2018 and November 2022.
Despite repeated reminders, no payment was made, leaving the hospital struggling to buy essential supplies.
In its statement, Mbagathi Hospital explained that the situation had become unsustainable.
“This letter serves as a formal notification that we are suspending our services to prisoners effective Monday, 4th August, 2025,” read part of the notice.
The Kenya Prison Service (KPS) has appealed to the hospital to lift the suspension as they work with the State Department to sort out the arrears.
“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, the Commissioner General of Prisons.
This comes just a day after Narok County Referral Hospital (NCRH) issued a public notice regarding nine unclaimed bodies at its Farewell Home.
Families have been given 14 days from August 23 to claim the bodies. If not collected, the hospital will seek court permission to dispose of them under the Public Health Act, Cap 242.
