Kilifi County’s health sector is on the brink of collapse. Behind the façade of progress and development lies a system riddled with corruption, intimidation, and neglect.
From missing funds to dilapidated hospitals and forced staff transfers, the situation exposes a grim truth—residents are being abandoned by the very government meant to protect their health.
Governor Gideon Mung’aro’s administration now stands accused of presiding over one of the most corrupt and mismanaged county health systems in Kenya.
Deepening Rot in Kilifi County Health Sector
A classified report obtained by this newsroom shows that corruption in Kilifi’s health department runs deep. The scandal erupted after former County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Finance, Shoshi Yaye, allegedly refused to approve suspicious payments worth KSh150 million for non-pharmaceutical supplies to select companies.
Her refusal reportedly angered top county officials, who later transferred her to the Department of Public Service in what sources describe as a punitive move. Yaye later resigned. The controversial work plan was reportedly prepared under the watch of Dr. David Mulewa, the Chief Officer for Health and Sanitation Services, who happens to be Governor Mung’aro’s brother.
Insiders allege that a small network of contractors and senior county officials managed procurement deals behind closed doors, sidelining legal financial procedures. When Yaye questioned the discrepancies, she was shown the door.
Across the county, the results of such corruption are visible in every hospital ward. Mariakani Sub-County Hospital and numerous rural dispensaries are struggling to operate. Broken beds, expired drugs, and unpaid medical workers have become the new normal. Patients are forced to buy medicine out of pocket, while the poor go untreated.
Intimidation and Mismanagement in the Health Department
Several health workers describe an atmosphere of fear and oppression. A senior medical officer who requested anonymity said staff are constantly warned not to speak out. “Even our phones are being monitored. We are told to stay quiet or risk being transferred. Kilifi people are suffering in silence,” the officer revealed.
A county driver, Katana Kombo, painted an even darker picture. He said staff often collect “fuel money” from desperate patients to keep ambulances running. “Salaries delay, allowances vanish, and no one cares. The corruption starts from the top,” he said.
The intimidation appears to be part of a larger effort to silence whistle-blowers. Sources allege that officials who resist questionable transactions or raise red flags are either demoted, transferred, or forced out. The fear has bred a culture of silence, where few dare challenge the system.
History of Scandals and Corruption in Kilifi County
This is not the first time Kilifi County has been at the center of a corruption storm. The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has repeatedly flagged procurement and financial irregularities. In 2023, the commission cancelled a KSh103 million tender for a revenue collection system after discovering forged documents.
Earlier, in 2020, EACC detectives raided county offices and arrested senior officials over a phantom “COVID-19 medical complex” project whose expenditure could not be accounted for. Despite the arrests, few convictions followed, and the corruption trail went cold.
According to the 2024 National Ethics and Corruption Survey, Kilifi ranked among Kenya’s most bribery-prone counties, with residents reporting an average of 1.03 bribery incidents per public service sought. From obtaining medical forms to securing ambulance services, bribery has become part of everyday life.
The rot has extended beyond the health department. The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) in October 2025 approved charges against Jambo Jipya Medical Centre, a private clinic in Kilifi, for fraudulent claims worth KSh2 million submitted to the Social Health Authority. Earlier audits revealed that the county also paid over KSh70 million in “legal fees” to private lawyers who never represented it in court.
Public Outcry and Calls for Accountability
EACC has arrested several county officials for obstructing investigations, yet accountability remains elusive. Civic groups say Governor Mung’aro’s administration has failed to clean up the rot or protect those trying to expose it. The continued interference in procurement, victimization of honest officers, and neglect of medical workers have crippled service delivery.
Health facilities remain underfunded and understaffed. In some hospitals, oxygen supplies run out for days. Expectant mothers are turned away for lack of basic items like gloves and syringes. “We are watching people die over problems that can be fixed if funds were used properly,” a nurse lamented.
Residents are now demanding a full forensic audit of both the finance and health departments. They also want whistle-blowers like Yaye protected from retaliation and reinstated with honor. However, those calls have largely fallen on deaf ears.
For now, Kilifi’s citizens continue to bear the brunt of corruption. The promise of devolution—to bring better services closer to the people—has turned into a nightmare. The county’s health system is bleeding, not just from budget shortfalls, but from greed and impunity entrenched at every level of leadership.
Until Governor Mung’aro confronts the rot head-on, the people of Kilifi will keep paying the ultimate price—not only in stolen funds but also in lost lives and broken trust.
