Assembly to probe Coast General Hospital over alleged medical negligence
Health & Science
By
Patrick Beja
| Feb 25, 2026
Acting Mombasa Health CEC Richard Manyala addresses a press briefing at the Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital in Mombasa on February 23, 2026. [Omondi Onyango, Standard]
Mombasa County Assembly has directed the Health committee to launch investigations into issues affecting Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital (CGTRH) and table a report within one week.
Speaking at the facility on Wednesday, county assembly Speaker Aharub Khatri offered condolences to the family of Ali Kibwana, who died recently at the hospital over alleged negligence.
The matter has sparked uproar after Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir suspended long-serving CEO Dr Iqbal Khandwala with doctors threatening to go on strike over the decision.
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Katrii said county assembly members were deeply disturbed by the developments at the hospital and the relevant committee would carry out a thorough inquiry before further action is taken.
The Speaker noted that challenges at Coast General are not new, citing persistent concerns over staffing shortages.
He said the 700-bed facility is operating under significant strain, with reports indicating that one nurse is sometimes required to attend to up to 20 patients at a time.
“We are urging the county government to ensure that the investigative process is concluded within a week and that all individuals involved are granted a fair hearing,” he said.
The Speaker hinted at the possibility of involving an independent body to establish where lapses occurred and recommend legal or administrative action.
He further suggested that if the county government is unable to sustainably manage the hospital, the management should be transferred to the national government, similar to other referral hospitals run by the state.
At the same time, Khatri appealed to doctors not to proceed with a strike, warning that this could endanger more lives.
He also proposed that a professional administrator with management expertise should be appointed to run the hospital rather than a medical doctor.
Earlier, Shanzu MCA Albert Katana alias 1B tabled a motion seeking investigation into allegations facing Dr Kandwala.
He asked the Health Committee to determine within seven days whether the claims were substantiated.
MCAs also condemned tribal remarks that surfaced during the debate. Katana said it was inappropriate to generalise or blame an entire community for the alleged actions of one individual, emphasizing that Mombasa is a cosmopolitan county.
Health Committee chairman Bernard Ogutu confirmed that his team has already drawn up a schedule and will begin the inquiry immediately and table the report before the assembly next Tuesday.
Majority Leader Athman Mwamwiri urged leaders to avoid ethnic profiling and challenged the member who made the remarks to issue an apology to the affected community.
The assembly reaffirmed its commitment to accountability and improving healthcare services for residents of Mombasa and the wider Coast region.
Nassir revealed that the county government currently subsidizes the operations of CGTRH to the tune of Sh1 billion annually in addition to authorising the facility to retain and spend all own-source revenue generated from patient fees.
“This level of public investment must translate into tangible improvements in care, efficiency, and patient experience. I am keen to see clear value for this money for our residents,” he said after chairing a county executive committee at the hospital.
He announced he was implementing his executive order to remove satellite hospitals from the management structure of CGTRH.
“This rationalisation has already freed up critical resources, enabling the immediate recruitment of 60 additional nurses for Coast General next week to strengthen frontline services and reduce patient waiting times,” he said.