KU Hospital Board chair Olive Mugenda resigns

The Chairperson of the Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral, and Research Hospital (KUTRRH) Board, Olive Mugenda, has resigned.

In a statement on Tuesday, State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohamed said President William Ruto has received and accepted Mugenda’s resignation.

The President acknowledged Professor Mugenda's significant contributions to the growth and development of KUTRRH during her tenure and also extended his gratitude for her service.

Following her resignation, the KUTRRH Board has been disbanded with immediate effect, and the process of reconstituting it has commenced.

This is in line with efforts to restore stability and effective governance.

According to Hussein, Health CS Deborah Barasa directed CEO Ahmed Dagane to proceed on indefinite leave.

Further, Zainab Gura has been appointed as the Acting CEO of KUTRRH.

Isaac Kamau, who was recently appointed by the board as Acting CEO, has been released from his duties and is directed to report to the Ministry of Health Headquarters.

On Monday, operations at the Kenyatta KUTRRH were at a standstill after medics and support staff at the facility downed their tools.

The health workers were protesting working conditions at the Level 6 facility as they called for urgent intervention from the Ministry of Health.

Grievances raised include alleged sexual harassment, long working hours, and waiver of staff medical bills for those in critical care departments, among others.

The staff also cited the recent suspension of hospital Chief Executive Ahmed Dagane, who was sent on compulsory leave by the board. Hundreds of patients seeking services at the facility were left stranded as the industrial action took effect.

Among the grievances, employees wanted payment of nurses' and doctors' uniform allowances, risk extraneous allowances, and radiation exposure allowances for staff working in radiology.

A petition by the staff undersigned by representatives from Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) and Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) outlined 10 demands from the medical and non-medical staff.