MTRH faces funding and staffing crisis- CEO Kirwa
Dr Kirwa revealed that hospital is yet to receive Sh444 million in grant arrears and is facing a Sh1.2 billion deficit in the 2024/25 financial year.
The Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) is grappling with severe operational challenges, including a crippling funding deficit and workforce diversity concerns, its Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Phillip Kirwa, has disclosed.
Speaking during the second day of deliberations with the National Assembly’s Committee on Implementation in Eldoret on Tuesday, Dr. Kirwa said the hospital is struggling to deliver services due to obsolete equipment, delayed government disbursements, and ballooning payroll arrears.
He revealed that MTRH is yet to receive Sh444 million in grant arrears and is facing a Sh1.2 billion deficit in the 2024/25 financial year.
Additionally, unpaid staff salaries and allowances had accumulated to Sh1.8 billion by June 30, 2025, severely dampening staff morale.
“If the financial situation does not improve, the hospital risks sliding back into the industrial unrest witnessed last year,” Dr. Kirwa cautioned.
Committee Member Lilian Sioyi (Trans Nzoia) called on the House to urgently escalate the matter with the National Treasury, stressing that MTRH’s critical role in providing both referral and primary healthcare must be safeguarded.
The Committee Chairperson, Raphael Wanjala (Budalangi), directed that a joint meeting between the Committee, the Treasury, and MTRH management be convened within a month to find solutions.
Beyond finances, the Committee also raised concern over the hospital’s staffing composition.
Citing a report by the Select Committee on National Cohesion and Equal Opportunity, MP Wanjala noted that 66.62 percent of MTRH’s 3,535 employees are from the Kalenjin community, with only 21 out of Kenya’s 46 ethnic groups represented.
“The law provides that no institution should have more than 30 percent of one ethnic community, yet your recent recruitment still favored the dominant community,” said MP Mark Mwenje (Embakasi West).
In his defense, Dr. Kirwa explained that the ethnic composition is a historical issue, as the surrounding area of Eldoret is predominantly Kalenjin.
He noted that the low-level cadre of staff, which forms the bulk of the workforce, often consists of applicants from the local community due to the low starting salaries.
He added that MTRH has since introduced fair recruitment and promotion policies in line with Article 232 of the Constitution.
Committee members, however, remained unconvinced, with Mwenje insisting the hospital continues to flout diversity requirements. MP Rael Kaswai (West Pokot), meanwhile, argued for a county-based approach to staff diversity, noting that the Kalenjin community consists of several sub-tribes.
On inclusivity, Dr. Kirwa highlighted that MTRH has established a Disability Mainstreaming Committee, trained 30 staff in sign language, and procured motorized wheelchairs to improve accessibility.
