House team resolves to push for suspension of MTRH Board

A House Committee says it will push for the suspension of the senior management of the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital over failure to comply with the law of ethnic diversity in staffing establishment.

The Adan Haji-led National Assembly Committee on Cohesion and Equal Opportunities noted that the Board of Management of the Eldoret based Referral hospital must be held responsible for ethnic imbalance in its workforce.

The report tabled before the Committee by MTRH Chief Executive Officer Dr Philip Kirwa during its sitting in Kisumu showed that 67 per cent of the staff in the facility were from one community.

The session was chaired by Mwingi North MP Hon Paul Nzengu.

“The report before the Committee shows that the hospital management has not made any attempt to balance ethnicity in its staffing establishment,” said Nzengu.

He added: “The fact that the management did not ensure job seekers from other tribes did not benefit from the recent recruitment indicates that they are not willing to comply with the law.”

Kaspul MP Charles Were noted with disappointment that despite Eldoret city being a cosmopolitan urban area, other communities living there were denied job opportunities by MTRH.

“Eldoret has the face of Kenya and it is unfair that the management of MTRH cannot take advantage of these to ensure that all communities get a share of jobs in the facility.”

Nyeri Town MP Duncan Mathenge said that MTRH was a national facility which should have the face of Kenya in its workforce.

“MTRH is a hospital that serves the whole country and not a particular region. It is wrong for the facility to ignore the law in employment and favour the local community in hiring staff,” he added.

He noted that institutions such as MTRH that promote tribalism in provision of job opportunities are government entities that portray the image of the state negatively.

“As a Committee responsible for ensuring cohesiveness prevails in the country and there is equal opportunities to all we must correct the rot at the facility,” he said.

Shinyalu MP Fred Ikana expressed concern that the hospital’s management has not lived to its word despite promising the Committee in previous meetings that they would correct ethnic imbalance in employment of staff.

“The CEO met the Committee 15 months ago and assured MPs that he would ensure ethnic balance in the workforce but it is surprising that even in the last staff recruitment they hired a majority from the local community,” he said.

Baringo South MP Charles Kamuren lamented that members of his neighbouring community were not considered in employment.

“Baringo we are neighbours but when it comes to employment, MTRH does not consider us. This is wrong because we pay taxes just like other Kenyans and we deserve opportunities at the facility,” he said.

Teso North MP Oku Kaunya said the Committee should stump its authority by taking stern action to top the management of MTRH for failing to comply with the law and dragging the country behind in the war against tribalism.

Other MPs who took issue with MTRH management included Mary Maingi (Mwea) and Irene Mayaka.

Responding to the concerns raised by the committee, Dr Kirwa said the management was doing its best to deal with ethnic imbalance which he noted was historical.

“You are aware that I am new at the helm and most of the anomalies are historical. We are doing our best to correct them,” he said.

But the Committee noted that the blame should be on the Board of Management which they noted that has a say in hiring of staff.

The Committee resolved that since the Board of Management has influence and failed in its mandate, should be held responsible.

The Committee led by Mandera West MP Adan Haji had also held accountability meetings with CEOs of Lake Victoria South Water Works Development Agency, Lake Basin Development Authority, Lake Victoria North Water Works Development Agency, Rivatex East Africa and South Nyanza Sugar Company (SONY).

Nakuru County MP Liz Chelule also chaired a session that grilled the Kenya Seed Company Managing Director Mr Sammy Chepsiror.

The Committee established that all the Agencies had not complied with the law that requires five per cent of their staff should be people living with disabilities.

Most of the Government Agencies had also not complied with procurement law that required them to give opportunities to youth and PLWDs.