ST MARY'S HOSPITAL MUMIAS SHUTS DOWN DESPITE RECEIVING KSH 83M

St. Mary’s Mission Hospital in Mumias has shut down after 117 years of service, despite receiving more than Ksh 82 million from the Social Health Authority (SHA) in the past eight months.
According to records from the Ministry of Health, the hospital submitted claims worth Ksh 117 million, but only Ksh 82.9 million was paid between November 2024 and July 2025. Payments were disbursed in installments ranging from Ksh 12 million in November to just Ksh 5.2 million in July.
The ministry said about Ksh 10.2 million in claims were not verified due to incomplete or missing documentation. In addition, balances inherited from the defunct NHIF remain under audit by the Office of the Auditor General before any settlement can be made.
The facility shut down on July 1, 2025, after staff were instructed by email not to report to work following four months of unpaid salaries. The closure sparked protests by staff, with only the Comprehensive Care Unit (CCU), the Renal Unit, and the mortuary continuing operations under separate arrangements.
Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi defended the government, noting that while the hospital claimed Ksh 117 million, it had already received about Ksh 82 million. He urged greater accountability from the hospital management, dismissing claims that the Ministry of Health had failed to release funds.
The shutdown has left thousands of Kakamega County residents without access to critical health services, raising concerns over the sustainability of mission hospitals under the new SHA program.