Medical Services Principal Secretary Harry Kimtai has bowed to mounting pressure from Members of Parliament and agreed to withdraw the legal case against Grace Njoki Mulei, who recently made headlines for interrupting a Health Ministry press briefing. Njoki had confronted Health Cabinet Secretary Deborah Barasa at Afya House last week, an incident that sparked widespread public debate.
PS Kimtai, acknowledging that the Ministry of Health (MOH) was the complainant in the matter, confirmed that the decision to drop the case was made to protect the ministry’s reputation and address public outcry. “In the interest of safeguarding the image of the Ministry of Health and responding to the concerns raised by the public, we have decided to withdraw the complaint,” Kimtai assured lawmakers. He further clarified that Njoki had been facing charges related to trespassing and causing a disturbance.
Njoki, aged 61, gained national attention following her dramatic arrest at Ladlan Hospital in Eastleigh, where she had gone seeking medical attention. Authorities later arraigned her in court, where she faced charges of causing a disturbance at the Ministry of Health’s offices. She was subsequently released on a cash bail of Ksh 10,000.
The move to withdraw the case came after MPs, led by National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula, demanded clarity from the Ministry of Health regarding the specific offence committed by Njoki. Lawmakers questioned why a Kenyan citizen expressing grievances about failures in the Social Health Authority (SHA) system would be subjected to legal action.
During a parliamentary retreat in Naivasha, legislators emphasized that Afya House is a public facility where all citizens should have the right to voice their concerns without fear of intimidation. “Now that you have confirmed the Ministry of Health was the complainant in this matter, my free advice is to reconsider the case and withdraw the charges,” Wetang’ula, a seasoned lawyer, advised Kimtai. He argued that since Afya House is a government office, accusations of trespassing were baseless. “If I were concerned about the ministry’s reputation and the public interest, I would withdraw the complaint,” he added.
It later emerged that Dr. Abdi Mohamed, the chairperson of the Social Health Authority (SHA), owns the medical facility where Njoki was arrested, further fueling discussions on the case.
Also Read:
