County slams leaders for fabricating health crises

Some elected leaders in Kiambu County are under sharp criticism for allegedly turning the health sector into a political battleground. The County Government now accuses them of sponsoring malicious information to undermine the county leadership.

County Executive Committee Member for Health, Dr Elias Maina, said political theatrics have taken centre stage, with some leaders allegedly stage-managing incidents to portray the county’s health services as having collapsed.

Dr Maina described this as “a troubling trend” of politically driven propaganda. He said some elected leaders, including some MPs, are inventing and supporting this propaganda, with confidential patient details allegedly being twisted and widely disseminated.

“An elected leader recently mobilised people in Thika Town, dressing them in white dust coats and parading them as striking doctors. This was purely stage-managed to mislead the public into believing that all doctors in Kiambu were on strike and that no services were being offered,” Dr Maina said.

Another incident occurred three weeks ago at Kiambu Level Five Hospital. A woman with a stillborn was admitted on August 11, 2025. Within two hours, her personal information, photos and phone numbers were circulated online with a twisted story by political propagandists linked to MPs critical of Governor Kimani Wamatangi.

The widely circulated allegations claimed the mother had been left to suffer for over five agonising days at the hospital with a “rotting baby in her womb,” while doctors allegedly ignored her. 

When the media visited the mother the next day, she declined to speak. She had already been attended to, but said she was “frustrated and traumatised” by the circulation of her photos and phone number with false information.

“That was a very irresponsible and insensitive act,” said Dr Maina. “The woman was attended to, but what did that act do for her? How will society, which was misled into believing that she had a rotting baby in her womb for nine days, view her? That was wrong.”

On Tuesday, Kihara Hospital became the subject of controversy after the case of a mother who had attempted a home birth was exploited for political gains.

According to the husband, Josek Were, this wasn’t the first time he had helped his wife to deliver at home; he did so with their firstborn as well. On Tuesday at 3 am, he helped his wife deliver a son while they were en route to the hospital.

While Were was helping his wife deliver by the roadside, someone was filming. The videographer later shared graphic images of the delivery and Were’s phone number online, accompanied by a fabricated story that doctors at Kihara Hospital had refused to attend to his wife.

Angered by the online circulation, which was even shared by one of the Ward Reps, he reported the incident to the Kihara Police Station. The case was booked under Occurrence Book 2/9/2025 OB527.

Godfrey Mucheke, the Majority Leader at the County Assembly, stated that the governor’s critics have attempted to spread false information about his administration by exploiting various government initiatives, including the governor’s farming support programme.

Dr Maina stated hospitals across Kiambu remain operational despite a few doctors staying away from duty.“It is important to state clearly that only a handful of doctors have stayed away. All hospitals remain open, patients are being attended to daily, and all departments continue to function seamlessly,” he said.