MPs slash police insurance by Sh883m to clear hospital debt
The National Assembly Administration and Internal Affairs Committee highlighted that the government is paying large sums for insurance cover.
Members of Parliament have agreed to reduce the police insurance cover by Sh883 million to clear a debt owed to contractors working on the police hospital in Nairobi’s Mbagathi area.
The Sh1.23 billion insurance cover, originally meant for police officers, will now be handed over to the National Police Service after the move to settle the Sh833 million outstanding bill.
The National Police Service awarded a Sh8.7 billion contract to APA and Joint Venture for police insurance from April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026.
However, questions remain over the delay in handing over the completed 150-bed police hospital, which was finished two years ago but remains unused due to unpaid bills.
The National Assembly Administration and Internal Affairs Committee highlighted that the government is paying large sums for insurance cover while the police hospital remains inaccessible.
Committee members said this is a waste of public resources because injured officers are still admitted to expensive private hospitals instead of using the police hospital.
"We are seeing that you have Sh12 billion allocated for police insurance, yet you have nothing towards clearing the hospital’s pending bill," said the committee chairperson, Gabriel Tongoyo.
He and the vice chairperson, Dido Rasso, called for the insurance funds to be used to settle the hospital’s debt and fully operationalize the facility.
The police hospital was constructed under the supervision of Kenya Defence Forces personnel and was completed in the 2022/23 financial year.
Though it is fully equipped and staffed, it cannot be handed over to the police service until the outstanding Sh833 million is cleared.
The Auditor-General also flagged this debt in the 2023/24 audited accounts.
The hospital was designed to provide critical and specialized healthcare services for officers and their families across the country.
The committee was surprised to learn from National Police Service Secretary Bernice Lemedeket that Sh200 million is planned in the next budget to pay medical staff at the hospital, even as the debt remains unpaid.
"We need an explanation as to why we have billions spent on police insurance cover, yet there is no allocation for clearing of the pending bill that has prevented the service from taking over the hospital," said Rasso.
