Doctors condemn goon attack on Kitengela hospital during Saba Saba protests, demand action

The Kenya Obstetrical and Gynaecological Society (KOGS) has strongly condemned the armed invasion of Kitengela Sub-County Hospital during the recent Saba Saba protests, urging immediate government action.

In a strongly worded statement, KOGS Chair Dr Kireki Omanwa described the attack as "inhumane" and called on both the Government of Kenya and the National Police Service to take urgent measures.

"This violation of a critical healthcare facility, an institution of healing and safety, is both reckless and inhumane," read the statement. "The lives of both mother and child were put in imminent danger, and the hospital staff were traumatized and impeded from performing their duties."

KOGS further criticized the government's security response to the protests, saying it had directly affected emergency medical services.

"We highlight the unjust access barriers that have emerged for pregnant women, mothers, and children due to the unilateral, heavy-handed response by security forces. Roadblocks, arbitrary curfews, tear gas, and violent crackdowns have restricted movement, making it nearly impossible for many women in labor and critically ill children to access timely healthcare," the statement added.

We condemn the shocking invasion of Kitengela Hospital during the #SabaSaba2025 protests - including the terrifying disruption of a caesarean section in progress.

? Hospitals are not battlegrounds.
? Health workers are not targets.
? Pregnant women and children must never be... pic.twitter.com/BmpGmFKhbG

- Kenya Obstetrical and Gynaecological Society (@TheKOGSociety) July 8, 2025

According to eyewitnesses and hospital staff speaking to The Standard, armed goons stormed the hospital, moving from room to room while issuing threats, intimidating patients, and disrupting medical services.

Tear gas was reportedly fired throughout the facility, exposing both patients and healthcare workers to hazardous fumes.

"It was terrifying. The attackers even stormed the operating theatre while a Caesarean section was underway," said a health worker who was trapped inside the hospital during the incident.

Sources said the surgical team, including the operating doctor, was forced to barricade themselves inside the theatre to stay safe.

Although the attackers entered the maternity wing, no physical harm was reported against the expectant mothers.

The assailants also allegedly assaulted nurses attending to a casualty and went on to destroy equipment and records in the casualty department, laboratory, and other key areas of the hospital.

One health worker on duty at the casualty department was reportedly terrorised during the attack.

The violence in Kitengela followed the fatal shooting of one protester and left three others critically injured, triggering widespread unrest.

The protests led to road closures, tyre burnings, heavy deployment of tear gas, and sporadic gunfire as demonstrators clashed with police.

Similar scenes of chaos were reported in several parts of the country during the Saba Saba demonstrations.

Businesses were looted, protesters were killed, and widespread fear gripped communities amid the unrest.