NAKURU, Kenya, Jan 25 – The Environment and Lands Court (ELC) in Nakuru has for the third time in less than three days issued orders barring the Nakuru County Government from interfering in the operations of the Nakuru War Memorial Hospital.
Justice Millicent Odeny instructed Nakuru County Police commander Samuel Ndanyi to effect the orders issued on Tuesday, January 24 stopping the county government from messing with the management and operation of the Hospital.
Ndanyi who has been summoned to appear in court on January 30 to explain why he was unable to implement the initial court orders was also asked to ensure that the hospital staff were allowed into the facility to continue their work.
”The County Police Commander should appear before this court on Tuesday next week week to explain the difficulty of effecting a court order,” said the judge.
Trouble at the hospital started in October last year when a team from Nakuru County Government led by County Secretary, Samuel Mwaura raided the facility which stands of a 25acre piece of land and ejected the staff and patients.
The county purported to have taken over the hospital until the court ordered it out through a court ordered issued on October 31, 2023, pending hearing and determinations of a civil case.
However, the county government had five people, among the two senior directors of the hospital arrested on Friday last week over forgery claims and immediately took over the hospital management.
They were said to have forged document extending the land lease of the hospital land by 50 years, an offence which they denied and were released on a Sh1 million bond each.
Matters went from awry early Sunday morning when county enforcement officers raided the hospital, ejected staff and patients and destroyed equipment including CCTV cameras.
By yesterday, people among them patient and their relatives were still barred from accessing the facility by county enforcement officers who were manning the hospital gates.
On Thursday, Justice Odeny told the county police commander to also appear in court if he is unable to effect the fresh orders.
Lawyer Kahiga Waitindi for the hospital said Ndanyi was effectively served the court orders but he refused to comply.
