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Goons light a bonfire outside Kitengela sub county hospital during Saba Saba protests, on July 7, 2025. [Peterson Githaiga, Standard]
The National Nurses Association of Kenya (NNAK) has condemned the attack by goons on Kitengela Sub-County Hospital in Kajiado County during the Saba Saba protests and has threatened to down tools if the safety of nurses and healthcare facilities is not guaranteed.
The goons stormed the facility, disrupted critical services and terrorised medics and patients.
According to reports, the attackers forcefully gained entry into theatre while a Caesarean Section procedure was underway.
The development endangered the lives of the mother, her newborn baby, and the surgical team.
Speaking in Kisumu, NNAK Chairman Collins Otieno Ajwang condemned the attack and demanded immediate government intervention.
Addressing journalists, Ajwang made a passionate appeal to the Health Cabinet Secretary and the Inspector General of Police, warning that unless urgent measures are taken to protect nurses, they will be forced to withdraw their services.
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"We appeal to the relevant authorities to prioritise the safety and protection of nurses, patients, and healthcare institutions, particularly during times of civil unrest or insecurity," he said.
Ajwang said that the attack was not only an assault on the lives and dignity of health workers but a threat to provision of essential healthcare services in times of crisis.
“Nurses form the backbone of our healthcare system and play a pivotal role in sustaining essential health services. Their unwavering commitment to duty often under extremely difficult circumstances must be met with the assurance of their safety and security,” he said.
The NNAK Chairman called on the Ministry of Health and the National Police Service to implement immediate protective measures for health workers during demonstrations to ensure uninterrupted patient care and emergency services.
Ajwang cited Articles 26 and 43 - the Health Act 2017, the Police Service Act 2011, and international humanitarian law, including the Geneva Conventions, as legal instruments that protect healthcare workers during times of unrest or conflict.
He warned that nurses will no longer suffer in silence: “We have talked about the insecurity of nurses for far too long. Today, we issue our final warning to the government, to the police, and to the Ministry of Health the time to act is now, before the situation becomes dire.”
He warned that nurses will not continue offering services under circumstances that threatyen their lives. “We will not deliver services if our security, our safety, and the safety of our facilities are not guaranteed. We will down tools. Our members will not report to duty unless and until their security is assured.”
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