Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika has responded to viral images showing people sleeping outside the Nakuru County Referral and Teaching Hospital, dismissing claims that they were patients left unattended at the facility.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, July 29, Kihika clarified that the individuals captured in the photos were relatives and caregivers who had accompanied patients to the hospital during the night.
According to the governor, many of the patients are admitted after receiving treatment, while their relatives, particularly those who have travelled from distant parts of the county, opt to remain at the hospital until morning when they can safely return home.
Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika. Photo: Courtesy.
Kihika explained that the situation is not new, noting that the county has previously faced criticism over how it handles relatives waiting outside the referral hospital.
She recalled that a similar incident occurred last year when hospital security personnel attempted to disperse people waiting outside the facility.
The move triggered widespread backlash on social media, with many Kenyans arguing that relatives who accompany patients should be allowed to remain at the hospital, especially when they have nowhere else to spend the night.
Her remarks came after images circulating online sparked debate, with some social media users alleging that patients at the county’s main referral hospital had been forced to sleep outdoors due to overcrowding or inadequate services.
The governor, however, maintained that the photos had been misinterpreted and did not depict patients being denied admission or medical care, insisting that those seen outside were family members waiting for daylight before beginning their journey home.
