Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) has launched disciplinary proceedings against a member of staff accused of demanding a bribe of Ksh2,070 from a father who was trying to get his child discharged from the surgical ward.
This followed a public complaint by the parent, whose account of the incident went viral and prompted the hospital to issue an official statement on Friday.
According to KNH, preliminary investigations have confirmed that the officer in question was part of the team responsible for SHA clearance and may have violated the hospital’s code of conduct.
In its statement, Kenya’s largest referral facility noted that such conduct does not reflect the hospital’s standards. “The reported conduct is unacceptable and does not represent the values or the standard of care we are committed to providing at KNH,” the hospital stated.
Acting CEO Dr Richard Lesiyampe confirmed that the hospital had taken immediate action, including commencing formal disciplinary proceedings against the officer, and also announced that the money paid by the complainant would be refunded.
“Disciplinary proceedings have been initiated against the KNH officer in question, who is part of the team handling SHA clearance, in accordance with our HR policy,” he said.
What Happened
The incident unfolded after the parent raised the alarm over what he described as blatant corruption, harassment and favouritism within the discharge office. At the time of publishing this story, his post on social media platform X had attracted over 200,000 views.
According to the father, he spent two days trying to secure his child’s discharge, but was repeatedly ignored while the hospital officer allegedly prioritised individuals she knew personally. He recounted standing in line for hours while others were ushered in ahead of him, in violation of procedure.
He said that the situation escalated when he questioned this conduct, prompting the officer to react aggressively. He claims that she stormed out and banged her office door. She then allegedly summoned him inside and fined him Ksh2,070 for what she termed an “extra day of overstaying”.
He added that he had paid the money at the Malipo Centre as instructed, but had faced another hurdle upon his return.
According to him, the officer then refused to discharge his child unless he wrote an apology letter addressed to her and stamped by the area chief.
The father insisted he had not insulted or caused a scene, saying his only offence was questioning what he believed to be clear discrimination. “Right now, my baby is being held at KNH just because I refused to bow to corruption and humiliation,” he said.
Meanwhile, KNH confirmed that the child has since been discharged and the reimbursement process initiated and reassured the public that the hospital remains committed to protecting patients from any form of misconduct.
