In a heartbreaking case that has sparked national outrage and revived debate over Kenya’s healthcare system, a mother and her newborn child have been detained for weeks at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) in Eldoret over an unpaid medical bill of Ksh. 124,000.
The mother, whose identity we withhold for privacy reasons, was admitted for delivery complications that required urgent surgical intervention. While the procedure was successful, her family’s financial reality has turned the joyous occasion into a prolonged nightmare.
According to family members, the hospital has refused to discharge the mother and child due to the outstanding balance. With no steady source of income and mounting debts back home in Nandi County, the family says they are now facing eviction from their rented home while desperately trying to raise funds to secure the pair’s release.
“This is not just about a bill, it’s about a system that punishes the poor for getting sick,” said the woman’s husband, who now travels between home and the hospital daily, hoping for a miracle. “We’ve sold livestock, borrowed from friends, and pleaded with authorities, but nothing is working.”
The incident has reignited criticism of Kenya’s public health institutions and their handling of indigent patients. Human rights groups argue that detaining patients over unpaid bills is a violation of constitutional rights and amounts to unlawful imprisonment.
“Healthcare is a right, not a privilege for the wealthy. Detaining mothers and newborns for lack of money is cruel, inhumane, and unconstitutional,” said a representative from the Kenya Human Rights Commission.
Calls are growing for urgent intervention from the Ministry of Health and local leaders, as the detained mother’s mental health reportedly deteriorates.
Meanwhile, Kenyans online have launched crowdfunding efforts, hoping to give the family a dignified end to their ordeal and bring them home.
