Police in Kehancha Sub-County are investigating a theft syndicate by health officials after two suspects were arrested with stolen hospital beds.
Kuria West Sub-County police commander Cleti Kimaiyo revealed that the most of the beds were from Kehancha Sub-county hospital.
Over 100 beds are reported to have disappeared after they were sneaked out of the hospital during a public auction.
Investigations show that the suspects ferried the beds were in a lorry and produced a forged auction certificate, claiming they had been authorized by health department officials to pick up the beds.
“The two are helping with investigations, we are already pursuing two trucks loaded with some of the beds which went missing at the facility,” Mr Kimaiyo told the Nation.
“We have expanded the investigation to include some county health officials who allowed the beds to be taken from the hospital.”
Kehancha residents have in the past complained of the hospital’s services, which they claim are under-par as the hospital is poorly equipped. They said that the the theft of the hospital beds was “an insult to health service provision.”
Peter Mwita, a businessman in Kehancha, said he got suspicious upon seeing a lorry at the hospital collecting he beds.
“I became suspicious when I saw several beds being loaded into lorry. After enquiring, I was informed that the beds were being taken public auction,” he said.
Mr. Mwita then reported the matter to the police but they were reluctant to act and that is when he mobilized other residents. The locals then took matters into their own hands, intercepted the lorry and seized the two suspects.
They said that two other lorries had made away with beds and other hospital equipment.
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