Political beef between Kihika and Tabitha brings back memories of Kihika and Kinyanjui
Governor Susan Kihika.
The new development in the Nakuru war memorial hospital dispute appears to be taking a shape similar to the infamous Nakuru street families dumping saga in 2019.
The unending dispute over the ownership of the facility which has been taking different forms in a span of five months has evoked memories of the ugly dispute which became a political tool for the then senator Susan Kihika against former governor Lee Kinyanjui
And now, the War memorial hospital take-over dispute is taking a similar political contestation, pitting the current county boss against the senator Tabitha Karanja Keroche.
Nakuru Senator Tabitha Karanja at a previous function.
In the street children’s saga, Mr Kinyanjui came under sharp criticism after 41 children were forcibly removed from Nakuru streets by county officials, held in detention and later on the night of February 6, 2019 dumped in the forest in Baringo County, in what was alleged to be part of a strategy to 'clean up' Nakuru in order to fast-track its city status.
At the forefront was Senator Kihika, who condemned Mr Kinyanjui’s administration for being insensitive to the less privileged by undertaking an inhuman action.
She even threatened to sue Mr Kinyanjui in addition to petitioning the senate over the matter, which saw the Labour and Social Welfare Committee begin investigations.
The nine-member committee which was led by the then Nairobi senator Johnson Sakaja issued summons against Mr Kinyanjui and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations to appear before it, to explain the whereabouts of five street children who were said to be missing.
Former Nakuru Governor Lee Kinyanjui.
A report which was prepared by the committee had indicted Mr Kinyanjui’s administration for the dumping and disappearance of the five street children and gave recommendations to the DCI to initiate investigations for the DPP to prefer charges on those culpable.
Mr Kinyanjui who reacted to the report blamed Ms Kihika for the findings, which he said were pre-conceived to suit her political interests.
“We uphold the role of the Senate in oversight matters but fault deliberate distortions manufactured to fit a political narrative,” stated Mr Kinyanjui at the time.
Fast forward to 2024, a similar script is brewing but with different characters. Ms kihika now at the helm is faced with a political strategy she used to outdo her then political rival.
Senator Tabitha Karanja who has been viciously opposing the county governments attempts to take over the management of the hospital has in addition to calling for Ms Kihika’s impeachment, successfully petitioned the senate to issue summons against her.
Addressing a press conference over the weekend, the senator said the Senate Health committee which had received her petition was keen on getting information from all parties over the case.
Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika and Senator Tabitha Karanja during the 2022 campaign period.
She accused the governor of being inhuman and disobeying court orders stopping the take-over.
At least six court orders relating to the hospital's management have been ignored by the county and the Nakuru county Police commander Samuel Ndanyi.
Whether or not Ms Kihika will honour the summons and how she is going to deal with them is what Nakuru residents will be waiting to see.