Operations at St Mary’s Hospital in Lang’ata were disrupted on Friday, December 19, after a group of alleged goons reportedly stormed the facility and took over its operations.
Videos circulating online show the group welding metal doors, breaking into staff residential quarters, shutting down the central administration offices, and attempting to block access to the hospital.
The group is said to have been accompanying Dr. William Charles Fryder, who claims to be the hospital’s founder and rightful owner.
Fryder alleges that another group unlawfully took over the hospital’s management, despite the facility having been built with support from donors.
Tensions escalated as Fryder clashed with the current hospital leadership during the incident.
“We created this hospital, but another group unfortunately took it over under questionable circumstances,” Fryder said.
However, the current management disputed the takeover attempt, insisting that no court orders had been issued to justify the actions.
“We have not been served with any order. When we arrived, we found them breaking into offices and welding doors, effectively locking out those who have been running the hospital,” said Wanja Wambugu, the hospital’s advocate.
Documents presented by Fryder indicate that he left Nazareth Mission Hospital in 1995 and went on to establish St Mary’s Hospitals.
In 1997, he reportedly acquired 10 acres of land in partnership with the Assumption Sisters of Nairobi.
The hospital was officially licensed in 2000 under St Mary’s Mission Hospital, Nairobi Limited.
However, a new company was registered in 2010 without Fryder’s name, a move that reportedly intensified the ownership dispute.
St Mary’s Hospital is a key health facility, serving between 800 and 1,000 outpatients daily and handling over 900 deliveries each month.
The standoff left patients stranded, with no medical personnel available to attend to them. One caregiver expressed distress, saying a patient who urgently needed admission to the Intensive Care Unit remained unattended due to the chaos.
“The senior doctor said he should be in the ICU right now. Why should the patient stay in bed without treatment?” she lamented.
As the two factions continue to battle for control, the future of the hospital—and the welfare of its patients remains uncertain.
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