Residents in Maragua, Murang'a County, have complained over rising insecurity from thugs who have overrun the area Level Four Hospital and turned it into a criminal den.
The locals told the press on Tuesday, August 31, that the hospital security is lax allowing criminals to use it as a safe base to hide after their activities in the area.
Usually, when criminal cases are reported and police launch a manhunt, these criminals run into the hospital and pose as patients, since the facility is not fenced.
Police, not having the authority to get into the hospital and proceed with the investigations, are forced to retreat.
"We have been receiving many reports of criminals running away from police raids, entering the hospital compound and posing as patients. Because we cannot go about executing an operation in a hospital, we retreat," noted Jacob Kimani, the Nyumba Kumi chairman
Kimani added that the activities have led to increased crime rates in the area, and those who suffer most are women who have to go seek medical help at night.
"We have silent victims who have even been raped as they walked to the hospital to seek services," one of the victims remarked.
Residents of Muranga have complained that sometimes, they are assaulted even when inside the hospital because it becomes hard to differentiate patients from the criminals.
These residents have also mentioned that while in the facility, patients often lose their valuables and money.
Besides the invasion, the hospital officials say that they suffer financial shortages since some patients escape without clearing their medical bills.
Maragua Assistant County Commissioner Joshua Okello has mentioned that insecurity has always been the issue, and if nothing is done, then the whole area will become a crime scene.
He is requesting the county government to set aside money that will help run the hospital effectively and avoid having criminals in the facility.
"To effectively ensure that our patients, staff, visitors and even bodies in the mortuary are safe, we need a fence, lights and surveillance cameras," he mentioned.
