The process to acquire a title deed for Pumwani Maternity Hospital has began after operating without one for 10 years.
Early this month, it was revealed that the lease for the hospital expired in 2012 and the county had made no efforts to renew it.
The revelations were made when the Lands Cabinet Secretary Farida Karoney appeared before the Senate Devolution Committee last week.
However, appearing before the Senate on Wednesday, NMS Director of Lands Stephen Mwangi said the process to have a title deed for Pumwani had started.
“We have started the process and the Chief Valuer has already taken the step to apply for the document ,” he said.
Pumwani Maternity was among other key public properties in Nairobi, like Uhuru and Central Parks were also mentioned as lacking ownership document.
Back in 2016 , City Hall revealed that 15 acres meant for the expansion of Pumwani had been grabbed which resulted in stalling of the expansion plans.
The then Nairobi Health Executive Benard Muya revealed that the hospital only sat on five acres of its original allocation of 20 acres.
He also noted that Pumwani had fallen victim to developers who had grabbed the 15 acres meant to host the Intensive Care Unit, main hospital blocks A and B, ablution block, operating theatre, mortuary, children's playing ground and houses for doctors and healthcare providers.
Pumwani Maternity is the biggest referral hospital in the four counties forming the Nairobi metropolitan area.
Despite the lack of a title deed, the hospital has undergone major transformation since September 2019, when 12 bodies of infants were found stored in polythene bags.
In April 2020 , a breast milk bank was opened at the facility.
Pumwani which has been known for maternal services since it was started 93 years ago, started offering other outpatient services in 2020 .
The facility has also made headlines for the wrong reasons. In September 2020 a woman gave birth outside the facility after a security guard denied her access.
According to the Senate Health committee,the hospital blamed a private security firm for denying the mother entry.
It was revealed that the firm had been contracted by the county and according to Pumwani’s administration, the firms’s contract had not yet been handed over to NMS.
In a report submitted to the Senate NMS said City Hall had not provided any copies of the security firm contracts.
(Edited by Tabnacha O)
