Mater Hospital has been sued by its former deputy chief executive Dr. Stephen Gachie Macharia who also acted as the institution’s director of Operations and Administrative Services.
Dr.Macharia has filed a case at Employment and Labour Relations Court at Milimani Law Courts Nairobi seeking Sh16 million for unlawful dismissal that later saw him stripped off his position where he was earning Sh 1,050,000 monthly.
Dr.Macharia through Wanjiku Maina&Co.Advocates has told the court that he was suspended from office and eventually sacked for being a whistle-blower on conflict of interest at the Board Level, falsified payments of allowances at the hospital, tax evasion and immorality at the Christian-owned health facility. Daily Nation exclusively reported on October 22, 2023, quoting official court documents.
”The claimant further states that on the 8th of July,2020, he wrote an email to the Respondent’s Pontifical Commissary and Trustee Congregation of Sisters of Mercy Kenyan Province ,Sr.Mary Gitau with a copy to the Board and Owners of the Hospital expressing his frustrations about serious issues affecting the hospital that he had raised severally and which had been ignored.These issues include; conflict of interest at Board level where a director has attempted to influence tender awards, falsified payments of allowances, immorality where the male nursing students were being sexually abused,’’ Dr. Macharia says in his courts fillings through Wanjiku Maina&Co.Advocates
Dr. Macharia commenced working at Mater Hospital on the 19th April, 2018 for a period of five years until the 29th of September ,2020 when his services were terminated.
”The claimant Employment was confirmed on the 21st of November ,2018 following a six months probationary period with a Gross monthly pay of Sh 1,050,000 per month. The claimant served the respondents diligently until the 26th of March,2020 when he received a letter from the Pontifical Commissary ,Sisters of Mercy Kenya, requiring him to explain the hand-over possession of Kinetic Building which the respondent had leased out and later vacated,’’ Dr.Macharia has told the court
Dr. Macharia has told the court that he explained to his employer that his office(Director of Operations and Administrative Services) was not directly responsible for the handover process and went ahead to outline how the handover process had been done and the offices involved and a meeting between the then chief executive officer Professor Mwenja who has since resigned , the respondent’s sister Mary Gitau and the claimant where Professor Mwenja took responsibility took responsibility over the Kinetic Building issue and the matter was closed,’’ Dr. Macharia further says
Below is the full story as published by Nation.Africa on October 22, 2023
Mater Hospital image is a pool photo just for illustration.