EXPOSED: Unmasking Dr. Martin Wekesa Wafula, the Embattled CEO of Mama Lucy Hospital Amidst Alarming Deaths and Negligence Claims

After months of in-depth investigations, Kenya Insights brings you the man at the center of multiple medical negligence cases and tragic deaths linked to Nairobi’s Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital CEO Dr. Martin Wekesa Wafula.

Mama Lucy Hospital was established to serve Nairobi’s underserved, especially residents of informal settlements.

However, it has increasingly become synonymous with tragedy and dysfunction.

Reports suggest a disturbing partnership with St. Francis Community Hospital in Kasarani, with allegations surfacing that these institutions are fast-tracking patients to their graves instead of saving lives.

Just this week, Dr. Wafula was in Homa Bay County attending the burial of Wycliffe Juma, a mortician at Mama Lucy Hospital who passed away at just 36 from hypertension.

Wearing a red cap and smiling for photos, the CEO eulogized Juma as a “dedicated mortician who served with diligence and humanity.”

“Dr. Martin Wekesa Wafula is currently leading Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital staff in bidding farewell to the late Wycliffe Juma, a mortician who passed away last week. The CEO praised him for his dedication to service to the nation,” read a statement posted on Wafula’s Facebook page.

However, insiders have painted a far darker picture of the hospital’s internal operations and the CEO’s leadership.

One whistleblower revealed that the late Juma had repeatedly voiced concerns about the hospital’s chronic mismanagement and systemic negligence.

“Wycliffe Juma was against the poor governance and negligence at the hospital. He handled the bodies of people who should still be alive today,” an insider told Kenya Insights.

According to staff members who spoke on condition of anonymity, Dr. Wafula is accused of prioritizing personal wealth over patient care.

“The medics are demoralized and unresponsive. The facility lacks essential equipment, yet the CEO drives a luxury car and is often seen brokering shady deals. He seems more interested in profits than saving lives,” said one hospital employee.

There are also unverified claims that Dr. Wafula is involved in inappropriate relationships, further calling into question the professional integrity of his leadership.

Kenya Insights reached out to Dr. Wafula for comment over a month ago, but he did not respond to phone calls or messages.

An attempt by our field reporter to speak with him during the funeral in Homa Bay also proved unsuccessful.

A Hospital in Crisis: Historical Cases of Negligence and Deaths

Concerns about Mama Lucy Hospital are not new.

In 2022, a committee appointed by the Kenya Health Professions Oversight Authority and led by CEO Dr. Jackson Kioko inspected the facility following numerous complaints.

These included the heartbreaking case of a woman who died while delivering twins—a tragedy her family attributed to hospital negligence.

The committee found that systemic failures at the hospital contributed directly to her death.

More recently, on April 30 this year, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), led by chairperson Chege Mwaura, conducted a fact-finding mission at the facility.

The visit exposed delayed projects, unclear funding structures, and severe administrative gaps that have paralyzed operations at one of Nairobi’s busiest hospitals.

Mwaura, who represents Ngara Ward, criticized the stalled transition from the now-defunct Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) to the Nairobi County Government, calling on Governor Johnson Sakaja to expedite the process.

“The handover process has been painfully slow,” Mwaura said. “These delays are directly impacting patient care, especially with hospital capacity already overstretched.”

He also highlighted the stalled construction of a new hospital canteen, initiated in 2023 under a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) model. “Progress is well below 40%, despite some payments already being made,” he noted.

While many complaints and death reports continue to emerge from Mama Lucy Hospital, Kenya Insights is committed to shedding light on the human cost of poor leadership and neglect.

As pressure mounts on county and national health authorities, the question remains: How many more lives must be lost before action is taken?