County distances itself from viral video showing people being kicked out of Nakuru hospital

A video circulating on Facebook has sparked anger after it captured two security guards from the Nakuru County Referral and Teaching Hospital (NCRTH) forcefully ejecting people from the facility’s waiting area hall during the night.

The video, shared on the Facebook platform, shows women, men and children being ordered out of the casualty area despite the hall appearing mostly empty.

“Women and children are being driven out into the cold of the night, yet the hall is empty. What sort of cruelty is this?” the man questions in the video, clearly disappointed by what he witnessed.

The footage, taken at night, shows women covered in Maasai shukas lying on benches outside the hall, trying to keep warm. Some are seated quietly, while others stand with bags in hand, unsure of where to go.

In his narration, the man adds that many of those being forced out were either patients themselves or relatives accompanying loved ones seeking treatment.

“Many of those evicted were not idlers but patients waiting for treatment, or relatives accompanying them, who had sought temporary rest in the casualty hall,” he says.

Speaking to Mtaa Wangu, NCRTH Medical Superintendent Dr. James Waweru confirmed the incident and offered an explanation.

“The guards are barely a week old at the facility. As a facility, we have swiftly worked on this area and requested the security firm they are attached to, to ensure new guards are paired with those familiar with the hospital culture,” Waweru noted, expressing regret over the incident.

He further clarified that people seeking services at the hospital have always been allowed to sleep in the hall when necessary and that such restrictions had never been enforced until this incident.

“People can use this space to shelter from the night cold,” he says. “However, we are putting the right measures in place to ensure the area does not turn into shelter especially to the homeless people who may take advantage of the extension.”

In a short statement dated April 8, 2025, County Health Executive Roselyn Mungai termed the incident “unfortunate” and attributed it to a gap in the induction of newly deployed security personnel.

She explains that the patient's relatives unable to travel home are usually allowed to stay in designated areas until morning and emphasized the need for respectful communication.

 “We have created a mechanism to ensure a smooth transition and on boarding process for new guards,” Roselyn states in reference to the morning incident, reaffirming the department’s commitment to ensuring patient and client welfare.