I Was Trailed, Dragged And Bullied, Grace Mulei Narrates Her Ordeal With Police

Grace Njoki Mulei, who was arrested after storming Health Cabinet Secretary Deborah Barasa’s press briefing at Afya House last week, has narrated how she was trailed, dragged and bullied by police officers during her arrest.

In a distressing account of the ordeal, Njoki described being forcefully removed from Ladnan Hospital in Eastleigh, where she had gone to seek medical attention. She claimed that the police officers who apprehended her refused to identify themselves and manhandled her as they took her into custody.

“I had gone to Ladnan Hospital for treatment when I saw a security officer I had earlier seen at Kenyatta National Hospital. I sensed I was being followed and asked the officer why he was there. He claimed he was visiting a patient,” Njoki said.

Shortly after, two police officers approached her, demanding she accompany them. When Njoki inquired why, they insisted it was not an arrest but did not provide further clarification.

“I was dragged out of the hospital, bullied, and pinched. They didn’t tell me why I was being arrested or where they were taking me. They insisted I write a statement, but when I asked what it was about, they refused to explain. Throughout the whole ordeal, I felt threatened,” Njoki recounted, visibly shaken by the experience. “I have a heart condition, and they didn’t care. All they wanted was for me to write a statement, even though I had no idea what it was for,” she added.

Njoki said she called her husband and son to inform them of the situation but claimed the officers confiscated her phone. Attempts by hospital staff to intervene were unsuccessful.

She recounted being driven around the Central Business District and taken to three different locations, none of which she could clearly identify. Throughout the ordeal, she pleaded for answers, offering to visit a police station to record a statement after receiving treatment.

“I was not arrested; I was abducted. I was only seeking treatment. My mistake was fighting for voiceless patients,” she said.

Njoki emphasized that the manner in which she was treated was uncalled for, especially given that she had only gone to the Ministry of Health to advocate for patients who she believes are being denied proper care. “I’m not a politician. I’m a nurse, and I’ve always fought for patients’ rights. I went there to speak up for those who don’t have a voice. It’s wrong to take their money and not provide the treatment they need,” she said.

She further stated that the police should have summoned her to the station if they needed her to make a statement, instead of resorting to such aggressive tactics. “They didn’t need to treat me this way. If they wanted me to record a statement, they could have simply asked me to come to the station,” she said.

Njoki, who was arrested along with another woman during a protest over delays in implementing the SHAH health program, reiterated that her actions were motivated by a desire to see change in the healthcare system, not by political interests. “I am fighting for patients who don’t have the resources or the platform to speak up. That’s why I went there,” she said.

Her lawyer and supporters have voiced their concerns about the way the police handled the situation, with many arguing that her actions were within her rights as a concerned citizen. The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) later clarified that Njoki was arrested for causing a disturbance during the press briefing.

Njoki’s son, George Mulei, who was alerted during the incident, said his mother called him in panic, stating that they had “come for her.” By the time he reached the hospital, she had already been taken into custody.

Despite the troubling events, Njoki remains determined to continue her advocacy for patient rights, vowing not to be silenced by the mistreatment she faced.