According to a report by Nation Africa, patients at Nakuru Level Five Hospital have been sleeping outside in the cold due to a serious lack of beds, exposing the deep failures of Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika’s administration.
This shocking situation has once again shown that the county government is either asleep on the job or simply doesn’t care about the lives of ordinary people.
For a facility that serves thousands across several counties, the current state is not only unacceptable but dangerous.
A Failing Hospital System Under Governor Kihika
Nakuru Level Five Hospital is supposed to be a major referral hospital in the South Rift region. It serves not just Nakuru County but also Baringo, Nyandarua, Kericho, and others. But despite its importance, the hospital is collapsing right under Susan Kihika’s watch. Reports show patients are now forced to sleep outside, exposed to the cold, because there are not enough beds inside the hospital.
This is not just a sign of overcrowding, but clear evidence of poor planning and neglect. Kihika came into office with promises to improve healthcare, but what has happened instead is the total opposite.
Services are declining, and people are paying more money for worse care.
A Long History of Problems
The recent social media post about patients sleeping outside is just the latest in a long list of failures. Back in 2019, 60 medics left the hospital for further studies, leaving the facility understaffed.
Instead of hiring replacements or improving conditions, the county let the situation get worse.In 2024, an audit exposed that drugs worth Sh1.8 million had expired in the hospital’s stores. That means life-saving medication for HIV and TB patients went to waste, all because of poor management. It’s hard to understand how such an important hospital could be allowed to rot this way.
Healthcare Now Out of Reach for the Poor
Even as the quality of care gets worse, the costs keep going up. Consultation fees have doubled from Sh100 to Sh200. Bed charges are now Sh1,000 per day. These costs are too high for most people in the region, forcing many to delay treatment or avoid hospitals altogether.
One man even sued the Nakuru County government over the increased fees, showing how desperate the situation has become. Governor Kihika has not addressed these complaints meaningfully, and the health crisis continues to grow.
Kihika’s Priorities in Question
Instead of solving these problems, Susan Kihika’s leadership appears to be more focused on politics than public service. While patients suffer and hospitals crumble, her administration has remained silent or offered weak excuses.
The health of Nakuru residents seems to be less important than PR and empty speeches. The recent dispute over the Nakuru War Memorial Hospital is another example. That facility could help relieve pressure on Nakuru Level Five Hospital, but legal wrangles and political fights have stalled progress.
Again, the people lose while leaders argue.
The Nakuru Level Five Hospital crisis is a direct reflection of failed leadership under Governor Susan Kihika. From expired drugs to increased fees and now patients sleeping outside, the signs of collapse are everywhere.
The people of Nakuru deserve better. A governor who cannot provide basic healthcare should not be in office. The time has come for serious questions about her fitness to lead. If this is what healthcare looks like under her rule, then her administration is nothing short of a disaster.
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