Former Murang’a Senator Kembi Gitura has stepped down from the board of the Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital (KUTRRH), bringing to a close his tenure at one of the country’s leading medical institutions.
Gitura, who joined the hospital’s board in December 2024 for a three-year term, leaves the position less than a year after his appointment.
His exit ends a period in which he played oversight roles in the governance of the 650-bed referral hospital.
In a statement on Tuesday, Gitura said he had tendered his resignation to President William Ruto with immediate effect, thanking him for the opportunity but stressing that remaining in office would send the wrong signal to Kenyans.
“I have tendered my resignation as Chairman of the Board, Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital (KUTRRH) to His Excellency the President with immediate effect, and I have thanked him for having accorded me the opportunity to serve our great nation at such a premium national institution,” he said.
The former senator praised KUTRRH as a well-planned facility that has been instrumental since 2019 in providing specialised treatment for cancer, kidney, and heart conditions. He credited the hospital’s management and board for their dedication during his eight-month tenure, noting their collective efforts had strengthened the institution.
However, Gitura acknowledged that his role had been clouded by political controversy from the start, following his gazettement on December 20, 2024.
Many of his supporters questioned why he accepted the position despite being a critic of the UDA during the 2022 elections, when he unsuccessfully contested the Murang’a Senate seat on a Jubilee Party ticket.
“They knew I did not belong to the UDA Party. They insisted that the optics of my taking the position were wrong, that nobody would understand, and that it was irrelevant that I was convinced I would do a good job,” he said.
He recalled how friends and political allies continued to associate him with the government socially and politically, particularly after the June 2024 Gen Z protests, even as he insisted that his political stance had not changed.
“I have never supported the UDA government and I have always stood firmly, although maybe at times quietly, with those forces that are up against its policies,” he said.
Gitura added that many Kenyans, including elected leaders on a UDA ticket, had come to realise that the administration was failing to deliver on its promises—a position he said he had consistently warned about.
The former legislator stressed that his resignation was not a reflection on the hospital, which he described as a national and regional success, but stemmed from his inability to reconcile his political beliefs with a presidential appointment.
“For the record, I do not support the UDA government policies on virtually all fronts. I do not want to mislead anyone by any of my actions, words or deeds,” he said, quoting Matthew 18:6 from the Bible about misleading others.
“In short, I do not want to continue living a lie.”
Gitura also criticised what he described as widespread corruption and the politics of deceit, emphasising that he values honest and straightforward leadership.
He warned against tribal politics, which he said have been used as a tool of division since colonial times and continue to be exploited by “a cabal from within our own people.”
“Anyone who preaches tribal and ethnic politics must be shunned and not allowed anywhere near national leadership,” he said.
As of Tuesday, the Ministry of Health had not issued a formal statement on his resignation or disclosed who would succeed him on the board.
A lawyer by profession, Gitura has had an extensive career in politics and public service. He was Murang’a’s first senator, elected in 2013 on a Jubilee Party ticket, and served until 2017.
During that time, he was elected Deputy Speaker in the Eleventh Parliament.
In the 2017 General Election, he contested the Murang’a gubernatorial seat but was unsuccessful. His career has since included various high-level public appointments.
He has previously served as the chairperson of the Communications Authority of Kenya and the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA).
Gitura has also held a diplomatic posting as Kenya’s Ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium, the Duchy of Luxembourg, and the European Union.
His nomination to chair the KUTRRH board was announced by President William Ruto in late 2024, part of government efforts to strengthen leadership in key health institutions.
KUTRRH, located along the Northern Bypass in Kiambu County, was established to provide specialised health services while serving as a teaching and research facility.
It plays a central role in training health professionals, advancing medical research, and easing the pressure on Kenyatta National Hospital.
The hospital’s board is tasked with setting policy direction and ensuring the institution meets its mandate as a premier national referral and teaching facility.
