The dramatic arrest of a woman by police on Thursday evening as she sought medical help at a hospital, and her subsequent dragging to a police station only to be released the next day without charge, has sparked outrage among Kenyans.
Grace Njoki, a 61-year-old retired nurse, was arrested for storming Health Cabinet Secretary Deborah Barasa's office last week to plead her case, as well as that of other patients, who were unable to receive medical treatment after Social Health Authority (SHA) systems failed.
Her dramatic arrest at Ladnan Hospital in Eastleigh, Nairobi, occurred as Njoki was in the process of booking her knee surgery, which was scheduled for Friday at the facility.
The brutal behaviour of the police, her screams, and the helplessness of the medical staff compounded the situation for a woman suffering from a heart condition, hypertension, and diabetes.