FORMER NAIROBI HOSPITAL CEO DEMANDS KSH 100 MILLION FOR ALLEGED WRONGFUL DISMISSAL

Former Nairobi Hospital Chief Executive Officer James Nyamongo has filed a lawsuit seeking KSh 100 million in compensation, accusing the prestigious health facility of wrongful dismissal.

Mr Nyamongo, who led the hospital from November 2020 until his termination in November 2024, claims he was removed from office without just cause. In his court filings, he is demanding payment for breach of contract, salary for the remainder of his term, unpaid leave days, provident fund, and gratuity. He is also pursuing general damages for defamation, reputational harm, and damage to his professional image. The former CEO has asked the Employment and Labour Relations Court to compel the hospital to issue him with a certificate of service and to award exemplary damages for what he says were violations of his constitutional rights.

According to documents filed by his lawyer Gad Aguko, Mr Nyamongo was heading to a scheduled work meeting on November 22, 2024, when his personal assistant informed him that a letter had been delivered to his office. Upon having it read aloud, he learned it was an order sending him on annual leave effective the following day. When he returned to collect the letter, Mr Nyamongo alleges he found his office locked under instructions from the hospital’s board and was denied access. He claims three security guards manhandled him when he tried to enter, and that his personal car parked within the hospital compound was clamped.

He further states that he was not allowed to collect any personal belongings, a scene that attracted onlookers and staff who watched as his office remained secured with a heavy chain and padlock. Mr Nyamongo says he was hired through a rigorous recruitment process and that his leadership boosted the hospital’s revenue, earning him an extension of his term. He contends that the abrupt dismissal tarnished his career and compromised his professional reputation.

Nairobi Hospital, a private, non-profit facility known for advanced medical services such as kidney transplants, open-heart surgery, cancer therapy, and specialised outpatient clinics, has yet to issue a public response to the case. The lawsuit comes barely two weeks after the institution was ordered to pay another former CEO KSh 206 million in a separate legal dispute.