Kitengela health workers relive horror of hospital attack

Details have emerged of the horror visited on health workers at a hospital in Kitengela, Kajiado County by goons during protests to mark Saba Saba on July 7.

In an exclusive interview with The Standard, doctors and nurses at Kitengela Sub-County Hospital in Kajiado recounted the attack by a violent mob that left them severely traumatised.

"Fortunately, we have psychologists…but even with that, you still feel and live it even after you finish, the memory does not go away. You suppress it for the sake of other patients,” said Dr Sara Rashid during the interview at the hospital yesterday.

Though the hospital offers psychological support, Dr Rashid said no counselling can erase the memory of delivering a baby on the operating table as chaos unfolded outside the theatre walls.

Rashid, who has served at the facility for over 10 years, was preparing to perform an emergency C-Section, when goons stormed the facility.

“We had just wheeled the patient into theatre. Suddenly, there was noise—shouting, loud banging and people running. The goons had entered,” she recalls.

Armed with clubs, stones and metal rods, the attackers overwhelmed the hospital’s outpatient wing, sending patients and staff fleeing.

Stood their ground

But inside the theatre, Dr Rashid and her team stood their ground and raced against time-to save the life of mother and baby.

The team, proceeded with surgery, but her colleagues were anxious and terrified.

“A nurse whom I was with in the theatre was trembling. I asked her for an instrument and she could not respond. I had to switch to autopilot. The voice in my head kept telling me—one patient at a time. That is what I focused on,” she gave her account to The Standard during a visit to the hospital.

After the procedure, the mother developed complications and was bleeding.

As this happened, the goons were rioting outside the facility. Leaving the mother on the table, she says “spelt instant death”.

“The C-Section took longer than usual, because of complication but I could not leave the mother because of chaos, as such meant instant death,” she says.

In the middle of the procedure, yet another emergency emerged—one of the attackers had injured himself while vandalising the hospital.

Unconscious and bleeding profusely, he was carried to the floor of the theatre by three others, who knelt and begged for help.

Still in her bloodied scrubs and emotionally drained, Dr Rashid did not hesitate.

“We transfused him and stitched his wounds. He was going into shock, but we managed to stabilise him. It was another life that needed saving,” she says.

The team had also locked the maternity wing doors and kept silent as possible to detect any interference by the goons.

“We stayed quiet—dead silent. We didn’t want them to realise there were people inside,” narrates Rashid. “To be honest it came as a shock. We still feel traumatised when we hear noise. It wasn't anything we ever expected,” added the doctor.

The newborn and the mother are all safe, undergoing review waiting for discharge.

A visit by The Standard team at the facility revealed tension and fear among healthcare workers, including guards.

Though services were slowly getting back to normalcy, the encounter remains grim, unheard of in the country, and internationally, even in times of war, as hospitals are safer places. 

Nurse Brenda* is visibly still shaken. Her eyes wells with tears as she recounts the terrifying events that unfolded on Monday.

At exactly 1:30pm, she says, a group of irate goons stormed the hospital, and by 1.55pm, chaos erupted, lasting for about four hours.

“They stood at the perimeter wall, armed with clubs and machetes and began hurling stones at the hospital, shattering windows,” she recalls.

Amid the confusion, the attackers forced their way into the casualty unit.

What followed was pure horror. The goons began indecently touching female health workers, with clear intent of sexual assault.

“It was terrifying. They started ‘touching us inappropriately’. We had to run for our safety,” says a nurse who spoke on condition of anonymity.

In desperation, the nurses dashed to the hospital laundry area, grabbed patients’ clothes and disguised themselves to escape the attackers.

“We dressed in patients’ clothing to try and hide — the goons were after us. Their intentions were clear — they wanted to rape us,” she says. The incident remains vivid in her mind.

“I do not think I will ever forget that day. I am not sure if I will ever be at work whenever we have any demonstrations,” says Brenda. “Nurses were literally hiding anywhere they could, while the goons roamed the hospital and shouting threats. It was a nightmare”.

At the height of chaos at Kitengela Hospital, one woman stood guard—literally.

A hospital security officer, still shaken by the ordeal, recounted to The Standard the harrowing experience of shielding mothers and newborns as armed goons stormed the facility.

“There were about 70 women in the maternity ward at the time. Nearly 60 of them had been cleared for discharge, but they couldn’t leave,” she said. “Everyone was scared. The mothers were especially worried about the safety of their newborns in the neonatal unit.”

With tension rising, the guard said mothers could not access their preterm babies, some of whom needed regular monitoring.

“The newborns went for nearly five hours without breastfeeding because their mothers couldn’t reach them,” she explained.

In an attempt to reassure the anxious mothers, the guard took an unusual step.

“I picked up the register from the neonatal unit and began calling out the names of each baby, one by one, so that the mothers could at least hear and know their children were safe,” she recalled.

To prevent further intrusion, she locked the gates leading to the maternity wing.

But the goons—some of them armed with machetes and stones, still managed to jump the walls of the building making way to the theatre.

One of them, she said, had sustained a deep cut while vandalising hospital property.

“He was unconscious and bleeding heavily. Three other goons helped carry him in. They knelt at the entrance of the theatre, begged the doctors for forgiveness, and pleaded for him to be treated," the guard told The Standard.

Moved by compassion and their professional duty, Dr Rashid and his team acted swiftly.

They transfused the injured man with blood and stitched his wounds, saving his life.

“The victim had collapsed at the theatre entrance. The corridors were covered in blood,” the guard said. “I still don’t understand how the four managed to get in. I was worried—deeply worried—about the women and babies in maternity.”

Though brave and courageous having saved amid fracas, Rashid still feels the weight of that day and observes that hospitals, police stations and all government institutions should be protected in times of chaos, protests or war.

“We expect during maandamano, we are ready to receive patients, to assist. The same people who attack hospitals are the same ones who come here seeking care. At the end of it all, saving lives is why we are here—even when it hurts,” emphasises Dr Rashid.

Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Union (KMPDU) warned that unless order is restored, healthcare workers will be forced to withdraw services during future protests.

“If this continues, we will issue a decree: No healthcare worker will report to work during demonstrations. From cleaners to consultants — we’ll stay away unless we’re guaranteed armed protection,” said KMPDU Deputy Secretary Dr Dennis Miskellah.

In one chilling account, Miskellah said an owner of an ambulance in Eldoret refused to have it refer a patient to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH). The patient died.

In Nairobi, doctors attempting to access facilities were turned away at Valley Road. Ambulances were blocked from delivering life-saving medication and transferring critically ill patients.

In another incident, he said ambulances at Embu Hospital were vandalised, while on June 25, 2025  some medics were injured by tear gas fired by police.

Dr Miskellah emphasised, “Even in war, healthcare workers are spared. It was agreed during World War II — medics remain neutral. But here, we are targeted. We’re beaten and tear-gassed.”

“An ambulance is not just a vehicle. It’s a mobile hospital — staffed with emergency technicians, nurses, oxygen tanks, monitors and critical drugs. When it’s attacked or blocked, someone’s life is literally on the line,” Dr Miskellah said.

Miskellah’s sentiments were echoed by KUCO Secretary General George Gibore who said events of this week — including blocked ambulances, interrupted services and threats against medics — amount to a national crisis that cannot be tolerated.

“This is no longer a peaceful demonstration,” said Gibore. “We are seeing targeted attacks on health facilities and staff. It is now a matter of life and death, not politics. We must call this out for what it is — criminal behaviour and a breach of international law.”