Former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko has called on current Governor Johnson Sakaja to urgently equip the new 72-bed wing at Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital to ease congestion and improve healthcare delivery.
Speaking after visiting the facility, Sonko expressed concern over the condition of the hospital, saying some women were forced to share beds due to limited space and unpaid medical bills.
During the visit, he cleared hospital bills for more than 100 women who had been detained for several days after delivery.
“I noticed that more than one woman was sharing a bed at Mama Lucy. What I don’t understand is that when I was governor, I built a 72-bed capacity wing it was complete and only needed to be equipped,” Sonko said. “Why hasn’t Governor Sakaja equipped it? General Badi didn’t either. Please furnish it to ease congestion. I’m giving you a few weeks to do so, or we will mobilize people to buy beds ourselves. It’s wrong for women to suffer when the structure is already there.”
Sonko also criticized the detention of patients over unpaid bills, urging the county to strengthen registration under the Social Health Authority (SHA) to ensure patients are covered and hospitals can be reimbursed.
“It’s wrong to hold women in hospital because they can’t pay. Make SHA registration mandatory so hospitals can get refunds instead of detaining patients,” he said.
The former governor further questioned the status of six cancer screening machines he claimed were procured during his tenure but are no longer operational.
“During my time, we had six cancer screening machines that helped detect cases early and saved lives. Where are they now? People used to get screened for free. Those services need to be restored,” Sonko said.
He urged Governor Sakaja to act swiftly, saying his concerns were not political but driven by the plight of Nairobi residents.
“I’m begging you as a friend, Governor Sakaja—please complete that wing at Mama Lucy, decongest the hospitals, and bring back those services. This is not politics; I’m not campaigning or seeking any seat. I’m only concerned after seeing the situation firsthand,” he added.
Sonko made a surprise visit to Mama Lucy Hospital on Sunday at around 3 a.m., where he found women sharing beds and detained for days over unpaid medical bills. He settled their bills amounting to KSh 1.6 million, leading to the release of more than 100 mothers.
