National Assembly’s Committee on Implementation Begins Referral Hospitals Inspections at MTRH Eldoret
the MPs were received by Chief Executive Officer Dr. Philip Kirwa, who showcased both milestones and challenges at Kenya’s second-largest referral hospital.
r. Kirwa highlighted the importance of the Cath Lab, which this week is hosting a pacemaker implantation camp.
By Mercy Chelangat
The Committee on Implementation of the Kenya National Assembly Standing Orders, number 209, on Monday, September 8, 2025, launched its countrywide oversight visits at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) in Eldoret. The parliamentary team is tasked with following up on resolutions made by the House. It is reviewing how referral hospitals are implementing recommendations of the Departmental Committee on Health.
The lawmakers said the fact-finding mission is aimed at determining whether Kenyans are receiving quality treatment in public referral hospitals, while also identifying gaps that require government intervention.
The Committee Chair, Hon. Wanjala Raphael Bitta Sauti explained the exercise. “We are going around the country looking or checking on the referral hospitals in Kenya and what standard they are treating our people. And we have just started, this is our first one here in Eldoret,” he said.
The MPs will be in Uasin Gishu and Baringo counties and on the first day, they inspected MTRH facilities and later planned to check the Eldoret–Ziwa–Kachibora road project, before heading to a dam project in Baringo. The second day will focus on boardroom session at MTRH to evaluate reports and propose solutions.
Hon. Bitta Sauti noted that the committee had already observed pressing needs. “As we have gone around, we have seen what they lack, what they require, so that we can also help them to get more funding, if possible, from the budget this financial year. Possibly, where we will find it necessary through the next supplementary budget,” he said.
At MTRH, the MPs were received by Chief Executive Officer Dr. Philip Kirwa, who showcased both milestones and challenges at Kenya’s second-largest referral hospital. The team toured the Cancer Unit, where chemotherapy and outpatient transfusions are carried out, the LINAC radiation facility, and the Catheterization Laboratory (Cath Lab) used for cardiac procedures.
Dr. Kirwa highlighted the importance of the Cath Lab, which this week is hosting a pacemaker implantation camp. “Today we had the opportunity to show them the current camp which is ongoing where we are doing pacemaking in session by our team of cardiologists. And currently we are doing a total of about 30 patients in the course of this week,” he said.
The CEO however cautioned that despite such milestones, the hospital is stretched to its limits by overwhelming demand. “We have shown them in terms also of issues of resources, especially the human resource, where we are able to run the facilities at least for eight hours, whereas there is also opportunity to do it at least for 24 hours,” Dr. Kirwa stated.
He explained that staff shortages and infrastructure gaps mean patients wait longer than necessary. “When you have maybe a patient coming to see you in a particular clinic and you have 300 patients, where you are required to spend at least 10 to 15 minutes per patient to understand them, it tells you that you probably have to work and extend to beyond the normal working hours on a daily basis,” he noted.
Bed capacity is another constraint, with patients often booked and made to wait before admission. Long queues in outpatient clinics also reflect the shortage of staff and equipment.
Dr. Kirwa underscored MTRH’s strategic importance, serving not just Uasin Gishu but the whole of Western Kenya and neighboring countries. “We have a very large influx of patients from all of Western Kenya and also parts of East Africa, all the way to DRC and other places. These patients all come for specialised services, hence the fact that we have patients who have to wait for some time before they get some of the services that we offer,” he said.
The MPs acknowledged these concerns and promised to take them into account in their report to Parliament. Their findings will guide recommendations on additional budget allocations and possible supplementary funding.
The oversight visits are part of a broader parliamentary effort to ensure government projects, from hospitals to roads and water infrastructure, deliver value to Kenyans. For MTRH, the lawmakers’ support could help ease pressure on the hospital, improve staffing levels, expand facilities, and ultimately reduce waiting times for thousands of patients seeking specialized care.
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