Sh433M KNH Stalled Oxygen Gas Plant Comes to Haunt UDA’s Leonard Muriuki Njeru As He Eyes Mbeere North

The ghost of a scandalous Sh433 million oxygen plant deal at Kenyatta National Hospital has returned to cast a shadow over the United Democratic Alliance’s newly anointed candidate for the upcoming Mbeere North by-election.

Leonard Muriuki Njeru, the businessman at the centre of one of Kenya’s most glaring procurement failures, now seeks to transition from controversial tenderpreneur to elected representative.

Last Saturday, Deputy President Kithure Kindiki unveiled Njeru as UDA’s flagbearer after seven other aspirants stepped aside in a consensus-building meeting at Karambari Centre.

The endorsement came despite Njeru’s firm, Biomax Africa Limited, being under investigation by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission for allegedly using falsified documents to secure the lucrative KNH contract.

A Deal Gone Terribly Wrong

The oxygen plant saga began in May 2022 when the Ministry of Health controversially awarded Biomax Africa the contract to supply, install, test, and commission a medical oxygen plant at KNH.

The system was designed to generate 8,000 litres per minute, promising to revolutionise oxygen supply at Kenya’s largest referral hospital.

However, what was meant to be a game-changer became a textbook case of procurement failure.

Despite a KNH inspection team travelling to France in May 2023 and reportedly affirming 100 percent compliance with tender specifications, the installed plant delivered a catastrophic underperformance.

Instead of the promised 8,000 LPM, the facility managed only 2,800 LPM – a shortfall that left KNH scrambling for alternative oxygen supplies.

The ramifications extended far beyond technical disappointment. KNH was forced to shoulder additional costs exceeding Sh100 million for transformer and generator expenses that should have been covered by the contractor.

More alarmingly, the plant’s inefficiency drove the hospital’s annual electricity bill up by Sh500 million – more than double previous charges.

Taxpayers Bear the Burden

Two years after the project’s announcement, the expensive plant stands largely silent while taxpayers continue funding the very problem it was meant to solve.

Between July 2023 and February 2024 alone, KNH spent more than Sh168 million on liquid oxygen from private vendors – money that could have been saved had the plant functioned as promised.

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission received a complaint about the matter on May 16, 2024, and has since initiated investigations that have seen KNH CEO Dr Evanson Kamuri suspended, with his bank accounts containing over Sh48 million frozen alongside several properties in Nairobi, Kirinyaga and Kajiado Counties.

EACC investigators believe the documents that secured Biomax Africa the contract were falsified, raising questions about the Ministry of Health’s due diligence under then-Principal Secretary Susan Mochache’s oversight.

The anti-corruption body is pursuing both KNH officials and Ministry of Health personnel in connection with the tender.

Political Calculations

Despite these swirling controversies, UDA’s power brokers have calculated that Njeru remains their best bet for retaining the Mbeere North seat, which fell vacant after Geoffrey Ruku’s appointment as Cabinet Secretary for Public Service and Human Capital Development.

Deputy President Kindiki praised the “enviable leadership” displayed by aspirants who stepped aside, with former MP Charles Njagagua now tasked with leading Njeru’s campaign secretariat. The endorsement suggests the ruling party is willing to overlook the oxygen plant controversy in pursuit of electoral victory.

Njeru faces a competitive field.

The Democratic Party has fielded Newton Kariuki, popularly known as “Karish,” the current MCA for Muminji ward, backed by former Cabinet Secretary Justin Muturi. Meanwhile, Duncan Mbui, initially fronted by the Democracy for Citizens Party, has defected to Moses Kuria’s Chama Cha Kazi after being dropped at the last minute.

Questions of Accountability

The timing of Njeru’s political ambitions raises uncomfortable questions about accountability in Kenya’s public procurement system.

While EACC investigations continue and taxpayers count losses from the botched oxygen plant, the principal figure in the controversy seeks to assume public office.

For voters in Mbeere North, the November 27 by-election presents a complex choice.

They must weigh Njeru’s business background and UDA’s promise of development against concerns about his role in a procurement scandal that has cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of shillings.

As the campaign intensifies, the oxygen plant controversy is likely to feature prominently in opposition messaging.

Whether UDA’s political machinery can successfully insulate their candidate from the fallout of the KNH scandal may well determine the outcome of this closely watched by-election.

The case serves as a reminder of the blurred lines between business and politics in Kenya, where controversial deals in one sphere rarely preclude advancement in another.

For Leonard Muriuki Njeru, the road to Parliament runs through the shadow of a Sh433 million question mark.