The National Assembly Public Investments Committee on Social Services Administration and Agriculture has sounded the alarm over a possible breakdown in governance at Kenyatta National Hospital, after the hospital failed , for the second time , to present its officially appointed CEO to a parliamentary inquiry.

MPs said the confusion surrounding the hospital’s leadership reflects deeper issues in how one of Kenya’s most critical public health institutions is being managed.

Appearing before the committee in place of Dr. Evanson Kamuri, who is the substantive CEO, Dr. William Sigilai introduced himself as the acting chief executive, sparking fresh questions from lawmakers.

“Why are you having two CEOs yet there is a substantive CEO who is the accounting officer and to whom we had invited here?” committee chair Emmanuel Wangwe asked.

Dr. Sigilai claimed he was appointed to act by the hospital’s Board of Management. “The letter from the board of management was issued to me since the CEO is on leave, and that office cannot be left vacant,” he said. But this explanation failed to satisfy MPs, who demanded to see the board’s official minutes and appointment letters.

Lawmakers questioned how a national institution of KNH’s importance could operate with dual claimants to the CEO office, warning that such a leadership vacuum could paralyse decision-making and compromise accountability.

“We cannot continue with this meeting having the wrong person. This is the second invite, and in the third, it will be termed as a sermon to you, the management,” Wangwe warned.

The committee now demands full documentation justifying Dr. Sigilai’s appointment, as it seeks to get to the bottom of what it views as institutional dysfunction. The crisis points to a larger concern — the erosion of clear leadership structures and failure to respect accountability processes in Kenya’s top public hospital.