Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) has lost KES 47 million in the financial year ending June 2024 after 11 employees were suspended for cybercrime.
After an internal investigation, KNH has recovered KES 16 million and has referred the matter to Public Service Commission (PSC) and other investigative agencies.
Legal Action and Investigations
KNH CEO Evanson Kamuri says the suspects are in custody and their case is in court. He assures the public that KNH is working with investigators to ensure justice is served and prevent future occurrences.
This comes after Auditor General Nancy Gathungu conducted a forensic audit of KNH’s payment system over fraud and fund misappropriation concerns. The report is yet to be released.
PSC’s Figures in Dispute
Earlier, the PSC had reported KES 517.9 million loss at KNH. But KNH has since clarified that the actual figure was KES 47 million. KNH attributes the difference to errors in the PSC’s report.
Dr. Kamuri said,
“The KES 47 million was split among the 11 individuals under investigation, hence the KES 517.9 million figure.”
KNH has asked PSC to correct the report.
Cybercrime and Public Sector Corruption
The PSC report released in January 2025 shows that public sector corruption resulted in KES 643.59 million losses in the 2023/2024 financial year up from KES 605.1 million in the previous year. This figure may go down if PSC accepts KNH’s correction.
The report excludes losses from institutions under independent commissions:
✅ National Police Service Commission
✅ Teachers Service Commission
✅ Judicial Service Commission
✅ Parliamentary Service Commission
✅ County Public Service Commissions
Cybersecurity: A Public Institutions’ Concern
This shows the urgency for stronger cybersecurity in Kenya’s public institutions. As cyber threats get more complex, organisations must act now to secure their systems and protect public funds.
Key steps:
🔹 Regular cybersecurity audits to detect vulnerabilities.
🔹 Strengthened security infrastructure with advanced fraud detection tools.
🔹 Employee training on cybercrime prevention.
🔹 Tight access controls and monitoring of financial transactions.
KNH says it’s putting in place new measures to prevent future cyber fraud and protect public funds.