The Atheists In Kenya Society demands the release and dropping of charges against Grace Njoki Mulei, a patient who recently stormed Ministry of Health offices over Social Health Authority challenges.
DCI officers arrested Mulei and forcibly removed her from Ladnan Hospital, where she was seeking services on Thursday. They drove her to Capitol Hill and have charged her with creating a disturbance in a government office. She has been denied bail contrary to Article 49(1)(h) of the Constitution of Kenya.This is a botched scheme that’s why they cannot prefer a court date. Lawyer Ndegwa NjiruNjoki, a 61-year-old nurse, was among the patients who visited the Ministry of Health offices on January 15, 2025, to protest the Social Health Authority’s (SHA) inefficiencies. SHA, the health scheme touted as one of President William Ruto’s legacy projects, replaced the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF). Njoki questioned why the scheme was not working; hence forcing patients to be stranded at hospitals. The fracas led to Kenyatta National Hospital’s Chief Executive Officer Evanson Kamuri acknowledging delays in the SHA system for over 48 hours which paralysed services. He, however, said that the issue had been rectified. “The recent system downtime experienced over the last two days temporarily disrupted some services, causing delays in patient clearance and administrative processes,” the statement read in part. Such actions are a violation of patients’ fundamental rights and a significant barrier to accessing essential healthcare. Every individual, regardless of their advocacy or opinions, deserves the right to health without fear of intimidation, harassment, or arrest.