MTRH grapples with Ksh.3B debt amid allegations of unfair hiring

As financial constraints continue to paralyze both public and private hospitals across Kenya, the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) in Eldoret has emerged as one of the hardest hit public institutions, now staring at a severe financial crisis.

MTRH Chief Executive Officer Dr. Philip Kirwa revealed that the hospital is burdened with a debt of nearly Ksh.3 billion.

He said the crisis has forced the management to make tough choices, including remitting only employees’ net pay while withholding statutory deductions such as loan repayments and other mandatory contributions.

The Chairperson of the National Assembly’s Implementation Committee, Budalangi MP Raphael Wanjala, has termed the situation at MTRH “a serious matter” that requires urgent government intervention.

He warned that without swift action, the facility risks following the path of institutions such as Moi University, which recently faced near collapse due to similar financial challenges.

Doctors led by Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) North Rift Chair Dr. Jackson Mulei have also raised alarm over the Social Health Authority (SHA) programme, accusing it of failing to remit sufficient funds to health institutions.

They fear that, within the next three months, many hospitals across the country could shut down due to financial hardship.

Adding to the hospital’s woes, MTRH has been accused of breaching Kenya’s Employment Act by allegedly favoring the Kalenjin community in its hiring.

Critics claim that over 66% of its workforce hails from a single community, far exceeding the 30% threshold set by law.