Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has directed Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) to waive all medical bills for patients injured during recent anti-government protests—including the Ksh815,805 bill accrued by the late Boniface Mwangi Kariuki, a hawker fatally shot during the June 17 demonstrations in Nairobi.
Highlights:
- CS Duale instructed KNH to write off protest-related hospital bills
- Boniface Kariuki’s family was facing a Ksh815,805 bill for his treatment
- The waiver aims to ease the burden on affected families amid ongoing calls for justice
- The directive comes after public pressure over state response to police violence
Main Story:
In a move seen as a response to growing public outrage, Health CS Aden Duale has ordered Kenyatta National Hospital to cancel all medical bills for individuals injured during the recent wave of anti-government demonstrations. The directive specifically includes the Ksh815,805 bill left behind by Boniface Kariuki, a hawker who was shot at close range by police while selling masks on Moi Avenue.
Boniface, 22, became a symbol of state brutality after he was shot during the #JusticeForOjwang protests. His death has triggered a national outcry and reignited calls for police reform and accountability. His family, while grieving, also faced the financial stress of clearing a massive hospital bill—until now.
The directive doesn’t just apply to Kariuki. All patients who were treated at KNH after sustaining injuries during the demonstrations will have their bills scrapped. This includes both survivors and those who later died, whose families were left grappling with medical expenses.
Duale’s decision is being viewed as an attempt by the government to show empathy and defuse tension. However, critics argue that waiving bills—while important—is not a substitute for deeper reforms, justice, and accountability for police violence.
While the waivers bring financial relief, families like Kariuki’s continue to push for the prosecution of those responsible and demand full transparency about how their loved ones were treated—both medically and legally.
Waiving the bills brings relief—but for many Kenyans, true healing will only come when justice, not just paperwork, is delivered.
