KMPDU demands protection for doctors after mob storms Naivasha hospital, steals body
By Mustafa Juma, May 19, 2026The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists, and Dentists Union (KMPDU) has condemned what it described as a dangerous security breach at Naivasha County Referral Hospital after a rowdy crowd was reported to have stormed the facility, disrupted operations, and forcefully taken away a deceased patient’s body.
In a strongly worded statement issued on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, KMPDU Secretary General Davji Atellah warned that the incident placed the lives of doctors and healthcare workers at serious risk.
Hospital operations disrupted
According to the union, the crowd invaded the hospital during ongoing unrest linked to nationwide protests and transport disruptions, creating panic among healthcare workers and patients.
KMPDU said the violent incident interfered with medical operations and transformed what should be a place of healing into a hostile environment.
“The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) condemns the alarming security breach at Naivasha County Referral Hospital. Yesterday, a rowdy and agitated crowd forcefully stormed the facility, disrupted medical operations, and took away a deceased patient’s body from hospital custody. This act of violence severely endangered the lives of doctors and all the healthcare providers on duty, creating a hostile environment in what should be a sanctuary of healing,” the union stated.
The doctors’ union emphasised that healthcare facilities should remain neutral and protected spaces, especially during periods of civil unrest and national tension.
“It is uncalled for that healthcare facilities, the very places the public runs to for emergency medical care during civil unrest, should be targeted with violence. When chaos erupts, our dedicated medical personnel stand on the frontline to preserve human life. Subjecting healthcare workers to an environment of fear directly threatens the continuity of critical care. The public must exercise maximum restraint and protect healthcare facilities as neutral zones,” the statement read.
KMPDU noted that medical personnel often remain on duty during crises to save lives and should not be subjected to intimidation or fear while working.
Union questions healthcare workers’ safety
The union posed what it described as a fundamental question regarding the safety of healthcare providers operating under increasingly volatile conditions.
“How are we meant to save lives when our own survival is constantly under threat within the workplace?” the statement asked.
Concern over blocked ambulances
KMPDU also expressed alarm over reports that ambulances and emergency medical vehicles were being blocked during demonstrations.
The union warned that interfering with ambulances directly threatens lives, since emergency vehicles often transport critically ill or injured patients requiring urgent medical care.
“The Union is equally distressed by reports of emergency vehicles being blocked. An ambulance in transit carries a life-or-death situation; interfering with it is a direct attack on human life. We ask that all demonstrating members of the public grant unconditional, safe passage to all ambulances and medical teams trying to reach patients in distress,” the union stated.
KMPDU has now called on both the national government and county governments to urgently deploy adequate security personnel to hospitals and healthcare facilities across the country.
The union said the government must guarantee doctors and healthcare workers a safe and peaceful working environment amid the ongoing unrest.
The incident at Naivasha County Referral Hospital comes as nationwide protests and strikes linked to rising fuel prices and the cost of living continue to trigger disruptions in several parts of the country.
DCI warning
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has issued a stern warning to members of the public participating in the ongoing demonstrations, cautioning against the escalation of protests into criminal activity.
In a statement issued via X on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, the DCI emphasised that while the Constitution guarantees the right to peaceful assembly and expression, any acts of violence, destruction of property, or interference with public order will be met with firm legal action.
The agency confirmed that a total of more than 700 persons of interest were arrested across different regions during and after the latest wave of demonstrations.
According to the DCI, a total of 189 people were arrested in Nairobi during the Monday, May 18, 2026, protests, 259 in Rift Valley, 103 in Eastern, 142 in Central, seven in the coastal region, and 10 in Western.