Standoff rocks Nairobi Hospital over Gordon Odundo ouster

The Nairobi Hospital CEO Gordon Odundo during a breakfast meeting at Kempinski hotel on September 6, 2018. PHOTO | DIANA NGILA | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • From midday, the lawyer is said to have taken a seat outside Mr Odundo’s office, accompanied by a security officer, waiting for him to open to hand him the letter.

  • According to an insider, at the heart of drama, are multimillion shilling insurance and construction tender wars.

Nairobi Hospital Chief Executive Officer Gordon Odundo was yesterday "trapped" inside his office for hours as a lawyer camped outside his office to deliver a suspension letter.

From midday, the lawyer is said to have taken a seat outside Mr Odundo’s office, accompanied by a security officer, waiting for him to open to hand him the letter.

But board Chairman John Simba told the Saturday Nation the letter that was to be delivered to the CEO was not meant to sack him but was to allow a 90-day leave agreed on for an audit. Mr Simba said the CEO was aware of the impending audit.

Board member, Mr Sam Ncheeri, declined to comment.

UNSETTLE DOCTORS

According to an insider, at the heart of drama, are multimillion shilling insurance and construction tender wars. The hospital is currently constructing a multibillion shilling complex.

“The chairman is not even picking calls from the CEO and that tells you there is drama. It is an awkward situation here as we wait to see what exactly they are up to, but the drama is likely to expose many other odds that we have been going through here,” the source who requested anonymity told Saturday Nation. A group of senior doctors at the facility faulted the board’s move, saying there are proper procedures to be followed in such a matter.

Dr Luke Musau said it is not the entire board that was informed of the abrupt decision, pointing to divisions within the hospital’s top leadership.

He said it was wrong to unsettle doctors when they had a good working relationship with the CEO.

LOST TENDER

A board member is said to have recently lost a bid for the supply of insurance services after his firm was found to be inexperienced, sparking the move to suspend Mr Odundo, who is set to go for leave from Monday.

By the time of going to press, the lawyer was still outside the CEO’s office with the letter.

Reporting by Walter Menya, Kennedy Kimanthi and Edwin Okoth