Natembeya hits back at ‘Shakahola’ tag after complex spinal surgeries at Wamalwa Kijana Hospital

NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 7-Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya has defended Wamalwa Kijana Teaching and Referral Hospital against its controversial “Shakahola” tag, citing successful specialized spinal and orthopaedic surgeries as evidence of the facility’s expanding capacity to provide advanced medical care.

Natembeya said a team of surgeons at the Kitale-based facility had successfully performed two complex spinal procedures on young patients injured in separate road accidents, alongside a knee replacement operation on an elderly woman.

The procedures included a Posterior Instrumented Fusion on a 21-year-old man who sustained a traumatic spinal injury following a road traffic accident.

“They also performed Cervical Lateral Mass Screw Fixation on an 18-year-old female patient who suffered a cervical spine injury in a similar accident,” Natembeya said.

In another procedure conducted on Wednesday, surgeons carried out a Cemented Total Knee Arthroplasty on a 71-year-old woman who had been living with osteoarthritis for approximately three years.

Announcing the procedures, Natembeya took aim at critics who continue to associate the hospital with the nickname “Shakahola”, which has featured in public criticism over deaths and concerns about patient care at the facility.

“While some people with sinister intentions continue to refer to this facility as ‘Shakahola’, we remain firmly committed, together with our qualified doctors and medical teams, to providing quality treatment and creating a life-saving environment for our patients,” the governor said.

The hospital’s reputation has previously been the subject of public debate, including criticism from President William Ruto, who referred to it as “Shakahola” during a recent visit to Trans Nzoia, linking the nickname to concerns over patients who reportedly died after seeking treatment there.

Natembeya has now pointed to the latest surgical procedures as part of his administration’s efforts to demonstrate improvements in specialised healthcare delivery at the facility.

“These successful procedures reaffirm our resolve to strengthen specialised care closer to home and to ensure that every patient who seeks treatment at Wamalwa Kijana Teaching and Referral Hospital receives the best possible care,” he said.

The governor said his administration remained committed to working with qualified medical professionals to improve treatment services and create a safe environment for patients.

​Bruhan Makong is a Senior News Reporter for Capital FM in Nairobi, covering diplomacy, foreign policy, national security, climate, and human rights across East Africa and the wider region.