Grace Njoki's unbearable pain, fight for healthcare justice

Grace Njoki Mulei undergoing specialised treatment in India. [Courtesy] In a remarkable turn of events, Grace Njoki Mulei, the 61-year-old woman at the center of the controversy surrounding the Social Health Authority (SHA), has had her name cleared and her dignity restored. Thanks to a powerful show of support from Members of Parliament, the Ministry of Health bowed to pressure and withdrew the charges against her. Njoki made headlines last week after her arrest at Ladnan Hospital in Eastleigh, where she had gone to seek treatment. She was accused of causing a disturbance at the Ministry of Health's offices and was later released on a Sh10,000 police cash bail. In a show of solidarity, MPs at their Naivasha sitting rallied behind Njoki, urging the Ministry to drop the charges, citing her frustration with the inefficiency of SHA. Speaking during the National Assembly's mid-term retreat on Thursday, Speaker Moses Wetang'ula led a chorus of MPs who strongly disapproved of how Njoki had been treated. "Kenyans want to know who the complainant in this case was. Was it the Ministry, or was it SHA?" he asked, criticizing the handling of the situation and terming it a case of turning a mountain into a molehill. National Assembly Leader of Majority Kimani Ichung'wah demanded clarification from Ministry officials on who had filed the complaint and the nature of the alleged offense. READ: Grace Njoki: From surgery to cell for exposing how new health system flopped In response, Health Services Principal Secretary Harry Kimtai confirmed that the Ministry of Health was the complainant, which sparked outrage among several lawmakers. Trespass The reaction prompted Speaker Wetang'ula to intervene, noting that no one was injured in the fracas. "The Ministry of Health being a public place, you cannot talk about trespass," said Speaker Wetang'ula. "I will give you free advice now that you have admitted the Ministry of Health is the complainant in the case against Ms Mulei. Consider reviewing and withdrawing the complaint," he added. PS Kimtai, SHA CEO Richard Ingasira, and Chairperson Abdi Mohamed had been making presentations before MPs on the new health insurance system. "In the interest of the Ministry's image and the public, the Ministry will withdraw the complaint," PS Kimtai assured the lawmakers. However, while Njoki welcomed and acknowledged the statement to withdraw the case, she demanded that the ministry formalise it. Njoki, along with other patients, had walked from Kenyatta National Hospital to MOH offices after failing to receive treatment due to the SHA system failure. "We first went to SHA offices, and they told us that the systems were down. We then proceeded to Afya House, only to find that they were unaware the systems were down at KNH," Njoki said during an interview with The Standard. Among the patients who accompanied her was a mother who had undergone a Caesarian section and whose doctors suspected she had a clot, as well as a father whose child had swallowed a coin, among others. Deeply personal But Njoki's battle against a broken healthcare system is deeply personal, born from years of watching her own family suffer. Personal conviction Her pain began with the harsh realities of illness and the injustices her loved ones faced while seeking medical treatment. READ: I was abducted, not arrested, Grace Mulei details ordeal with police Cancer, like an uninvited guest, crept into her family, claiming her mother, brother, sister, and now her husband, who is bravely fighting colon cancer. Grace Njoki Mulei overwhelmed by emotions after spending the night at Capitol Hill Police Station, Upper Hill on January 24, 2025, after she was arrested at Ladnan Hospital. [Kanyiri Wahito, Standard] "I'm taking this war on behalf of millions of other Kenyans and patients who don't know where to turn when they're in pain and failed by systemic inefficiencies." Driven by personal suffering and a commitment to help patients, as vowed in her nursing oath, Njoki's determination to reach the highest offices in the Ministry of Health began long before her advocacy. Her journey started with her father's tragic neglect-his simple craniotomy for a brain clot turned nightmarish due to inadequate hospital facilities. "I found him gasping for breath, taking his last breaths. My mother was sitting at the bedside," Njoki narrated emotionally. As a trained nurse, Njoki knew exactly what should have been done, and the failure to act left her devastated. Her father passed away, and a postmortem revealed he died of pneumonia. It was a painful realization that the system had failed him. "Being a nurse, I know what should have been done as an emergency procedure. It traumatized me because they did not assist him." After a fall that broke her hip, Njoki's mother endured a long and costly medical journey, eventually seeking treatment in India. After being treated and having a hip plate inserted in Kenya, medics advised that she needed surgery to remove it and be placed in ICU, as she was not stable. "She was supposed to go home for a few months to recover, then return for another surgery to insert a new plate and go to ICU," Njoki said. "My mother was unwilling, as she felt undergoing ICU treatment twice was something she couldn't endure. So, she stayed in bed for over three years," Njoki said. Multiple Myeloma The only time she agreed to surgery was three years later, on the condition it would be done in India. In India, doctors noted her fragile bones and suggested several tests, including a bone density test. Despite previous normal results in Kenya, it was revealed she had a bone issue when she broke her arm. Njoki's mother was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a type of bone marrow cancer, and passed away in India. It has been a journey of pain, trauma, and loss for the retired nurse, who witnessed the healthcare system fail her during her most vulnerable moments. In December 2018, as Njoki was preparing to take her mother to India for treatment, her husband was diagnosed with Stage Four cancer. The emotional toll was unimaginable. "In New Year 2019, my mother was in surgery, and my husband had just started chemotherapy," she recalled. Then, in a cruel twist, three days after her mother's death, her father-in-law also passed away. Within days, she faced the double loss of both her parents, yet had to remain strong for her husband. Njoki thought she was returning home to bury her mother and father-in-law, only to end up admitted in a hospital in Machakos with severe chest pains. Tragedy continued when they realized her father-in-law's body had been mistakenly claimed by another family that morning. "I had to be readmitted to the hospital while they went to court to get an exhumation order. They searched for his burial site, retrieved his body, and returned it to the mortuary," she narrated. X-rays of her chest and heart showed no abnormalities, but her body was failing. Things took a turn for the worse when, in 2019, after raising funds for her husband's treatment, doctors in India discovered his cancer had spread to his colon. "We didn't have money. All the contributions had been stolen at the airport when we were checking in for departure," Njoki shared. With the new setback, Njoki was distraught, desperate, and sick. "At that point, friends raised more money for us. When they applied to the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF), it covered part of the bill, so we were able to get treatment fully covered by the contributions and NHIF," she explained. "My husband underwent surgery and went into ICU twice. He was fully treated," she added. But things took another turn for the worse. Njoki's chest pains worsened, and several tests in India revealed that she had two blockages in her heart, requiring urgent surgery. "I had been checked three times in Kenya, and they didn't find any heart issues. In India, they actually had me sign something called 'against medical advice' because they wanted to operate on me immediately." "But I had no money. At that time, my husband was in ICU, and I was his caretaker, so I couldn't undergo surgery at the same time. I had to wait until he stabilized." From accompanying her husband as a caregiver, Njoki soon found herself back in the wards as a patient. Once again, she reached out to friends for financial assistance, and after surgery, her journey kept her in India for six months. They only returned home in December 2019, just in time for their son's graduation party, organized by their friends. Throughout this time, the defunct NHIF covered both Njoki and her husband's treatment, but with the introduction of SHA, she noted that her husband has not been able to access proper medication. "I've had check-ups, and NHIF has paid for everything fully. Whatever check-up I go for has been covered. NHIF has been covering our treatment, and my husband has been covered throughout," Njoki explained. Fighting for all Fast forward to witnessing patients struggling at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), Njoki's battle became more than personal; it became a fight for every patient who is overlooked, ignored, or mistreated by a failing system. But this wasn't the first time the "Lioness of SHA" stood firm by her oath to protect patients. She had always been there for the helpless, the ones who didn't know what to do or where to go when the system worked against them. Njoki recalled a heartbreaking moment when she fought for a Kenyan child with leukaemia who had been denied treatment due to lack of funds while in India. The doctors allegedly withheld treatment because the family could no longer afford it, and the child died. "It was heartbreaking to see them threatening not to preserve the child's body properly because of money," she shared. Njoki intervened, urging the hospital to respect patients' rights. With Embassy support, the hospital agreed to preserve the child's body and allow the family to raise funds. Her fight continues against systemic failures in healthcare. Additionally, her sister's battle with a brain tumor left the family with a Sh24 million bill. "Some of these hospital bills Kenyans face are inflated, especially when they know you have insurance," Njoki claimed. She stressed, "Hospitals should never withhold treatment. Patients need to know their rights, and if they see a patient isn't improving, they should provide proper guidance." Njoki's fight stems from the heart of her own experiences with the medical system. "What I'm speaking out about comes from what I've lived through. This is why I'm fighting to prevent future patients from facing the same complications." Njoki made headlines last week after her arrest at Ladnan Hospital in Eastleigh, where she had gone to seek treatment. [CCTV Footage] In December, her brother-in-law tragically passed away from stomach cancer after being misdiagnosed with ulcers. "There was mismanagement. He was repeatedly told he had ulcers," she added. The family paid the price for the medical system's failings, and Njoki vowed to keep pushing for change, for her family, for every patient, for every Kenyan. Her mission is clear, to challenge the systemic corruption and inefficiency, and protect those who can't protect themselves. ALSO READ: MoH to withdraw charges against Grace Mulei But she was vindicated by legislators who put SHA officials on the spot over numerous challenges facing the program including poor service delivery, poor communication, inadequate funding, unclear implementation frameworks, and the already-strained relationship between citizens and the healthcare system. SHA's implementation Leader of Majority Kimani Ichung'wah criticized the Social Health Authority (SHA) for its lacklustre public outreach, stating, "Your communication is shambolic. MPs are mobilizing Kenyans on their own because SHA is failing in its role. If members of Parliament can't explain the benefits, how do you expect villagers to understand?" Ichung'wah continued, "As Chairman of SHA, you should be able to explain clearly. What we're saying is either those in SHA lack the capacity, or you're unwilling to do your job." He emphasized, "If Members of Parliament cannot explain the benefits, how do you expect the villagers to know? It's a simple communication issue." Ichung'wah added that while Parliament enacted laws for SHA, they did not foresee that the Ministry or PS would oversee the authority. "The authority is semi-autonomous, and you must prove that you can manage it. If not, let us know so the ministry, the government, or even we as Parliament can take action," he stated. Suba North MP Mlllie Odhiambo said if SHA doesn't work within six months, the government should revert to NHIF. Kabondo Kasipul MP Eve Obara criticized the program, calling it a "hard sell" due to its financial struggles and lack of transparency. "My constituents are suffering. There are no services under this program. Can the Ministry create a questionnaire to identify the challenges and address the lack of services in our health facilities?" asked one MP. Nairobi Woman Rep Esther Passaris shared similar concerns, particularly about the program's inclusivity for people with disabilities, asking, "What is being done to address this?" Igembe Central MP John Paul Mwirigi expressed frustration over registered patients being denied treatment and medication.

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