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Elder Lister
For decades, Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) has served as a national beacon of hope, delivering critical medical care to millions of Kenyans. Its wards have treated the country’s most vulnerable patients, and its doctors have achieved extraordinary outcomes despite chronic resource shortages.
Today, however, the hospital is engulfed in a scandal so grave that it has shocked not only the institution but the entire nation - leaving the public demanding answers and, in a bitter twist, gasping for oxygen. At the centre of the controversy are two figures: former Health Principal Secretary Susan Mochache and contractor Leonard Njeru, a relatively obscure businessman whose political star is on the rise.
The two are accused of masterminding a procurement scheme that has deprived KNH of a functioning oxygen plant, even after taxpayers spent nearly Sh430 million. The fallout intensified this week when KNH CEO Dr. Evanson Kamuri was suspended. Authorities froze his bank accounts - which contained Sh48 million - and launched investigations into his properties in Nairobi, Kirinyaga, and Kajiado.
A suspicious procurement trail
The scandal dates back to 2022 at Afya House - the Ministry of Health’s headquarters. Investigators allege that under Ms. Mochache’s leadership, the Ministry, rather than KNH, initiated the procurement of a new oxygen generation plant for the hospital. This move was highly irregular, as KNH is a semi-autonomous institution with its own procurement structures.
The Sh443.6 million tender was ultimately awarded to Biomax Africa Limited, owned by Mr. Njeru, despite the company’s lack of experience in major medical infrastructure projects. According to an Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) report, Biomax submitted falsified documents, and the tender committee failed to conduct proper due diligence.
Although KNH’s CEO, Dr. Kamuri, was required to witness the signing of the contract, he soon faced a dilemma. Since KNH had not been the procuring body, it lacked the authority to implement or oversee the project. Seeking guidance, KNH approached the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA), which confirmed that responsibility for the contract still lay with the Ministry. An addendum was later issued to include KNH in the deal, but EACC investigators have questioned the legality of that decision. Despite at least three deadline extensions for Biomax, the oxygen plant remains unfinished.
Hundreds of millions lost, still no oxygen plant
Biomax Africa, working alongside French manufacturer Novair Group, was contracted to deliver a fully operational oxygen generation system. Two years later, KNH is still relying on private suppliers to meet its oxygen needs. Between July 2023 and February 2024 alone, the hospital spent more than Sh168 million on liquid oxygen - money that would have been unnecessary had the plant been functional.
The contractor blamed an inadequate power supply and poorly selected installation sites for the delays. Meanwhile, oxygen purity levels from the incomplete plant were recorded at just 60 percent—far below the 95 percent standard required for medical use. KNH attempted to salvage the situation by purchasing a generator, but the plant remains non-operational.
All the while, Mr. Njeru, now rebranded Wa Muthende, is preparing to vie for the Mbeere North parliamentary seat under the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), even as the project under his company’s oversight continues to flounder. Ms. Mochache has since exited the Health Ministry following a cabinet reshuffle by President Ruto. The matter is now before the Director of Public Prosecutions, with investigators examining how a Sh443 million project designed to save lives devolved into one of the most glaring procurement scandals in Kenya’s healthcare sector.