By Adan Mohamed
An impromptu inspection by the Senate Committee on Health has laid bare the appalling state of healthcare in Mandera County, sparking national outrage and urgent calls for accountability.
The committee visited four major facilities, Mandera County Referral Hospital, Khadija Dispensary, Elwak Sub-County Referral Hospital, and Adra Health Centre, only to encounter a healthcare system on the brink of collapse.
At Mandera County Referral Hospital, senators were confronted with scenes of gross neglect, pointing to systemic failure and glaring mismanagement. In the maternity ward, delivery beds were stained with foul-smelling, congealed blood; washrooms were filthy, with discarded placentas left to rot on the floor; and flies buzzed freely throughout the facility, a damning indictment of the county’s inability to maintain even the most basic standards of hygiene and maternal care.
At Khadija Dispensary, senators were astonished to find a group of men nonchalantly chewing miraa (khat) within the facility, just steps away from the maternity section. Even more alarming was the discovery of expired medication, some dating back more than three years, still stored on shelves within reach of unsuspecting patients.
Conditions at Elwak Sub-County Referral Hospital were equally dire. Senators found dilapidated infrastructure, malfunctioning medical equipment, and a severe shortage of essential drugs. Medical staff cited poor working conditions, lack of training, and unpaid salaries, with several admitting they had lost confidence in the county leadership.
At Adra Health Centre, the team uncovered further evidence of neglect: expectant mothers were lying on tattered mattresses, and critical records, including vaccination logs, were either incomplete or missing altogether.
In a bid to manage the fallout, the Mandera County Secretary, Mr Billow, led a team of senior county officials in a frantic effort to contain the damage. Witnesses described the officials as visibly shaken, “mad with shock,” rushing through corridors in a panicked attempt to clean and reorganise wards. In a particularly telling moment, senators photographed senior officials personally making beds in the maternity ward of Mandera County Referral Hospital in full view of the Senate team.
However, the crisis took an even darker turn. Credible sources within the Senate delegation confirmed that, on the night following the hospital inspections, an alleged attempt was made to bribe the committee with a staggering KSh 30 million at Amara Hotel. The cash was reportedly offered in a desperate bid to suppress the committee’s findings and avoid political humiliation. The offer was declined, and the incident has been documented for formal investigation.
“This isn’t just mismanagement, it’s criminal negligence,” remarked one senator. “Trying to cover it up with bribes makes it infinitely worse. The people of Mandera deserve far better.”
The committee has vowed to summon senior county officials and health administrators for questioning and plans to present a damning report in Parliament. The report is expected to recommend disciplinary action, criminal investigations, and urgent interventions to salvage Mandera’s crumbling healthcare system.
The oversight mission was led by Committee Chairperson Senator Jackson Mandago (Uasin Gishu), and included Senator Wafula Wakoli (Bungoma), Senator Richard Onyonka (Kisii), Senator Abbas Sheikh (Wajir), Senator Maryam Omar (Nominated), and Senator Tabitha Mutinda (Nominated).
