Grace Mulei when she stormed the Health CS presser recently/FILECivil society groups have demanded the release and dropping of charges against Grace Njoki Mulei, a patient who recently stormed Ministry of Health offices over Social Health Authority challenges.
The Kenya Medical Association, the Law Society of Kenya, and the Police Reforms Working Group further expressed concern that other patients who were with Mulei are at risk.
They emphasised that advocating for improved public health services is not a crime but a civic duty to ensure life-saving health services for a healthier and more equitable society.
“We call for immediate action to address these violations, safeguard the rights of patients, and foster an environment where health services can be accessed freely and without fear,” they said in a statement.
Mulei, a 61-year-old patient, was one of the people who visited the Ministry of Health offices on January 15, 2025, to protest SHA inequalities and inefficiencies.
The civil society group claimed individuals identifying themselves as DCI officers arrested Mulei and forcibly removed her from Ladnan Hospital, where she was seeking services on Thursday.
“They drove her to Capitol Hill and have charged her with creating a disturbance in a government office. She has been denied bail contrary to Article 49(1)(h) of the Constitution of Kenya that gives an arrested person the right "to be released on bond or bail, on reasonable conditions, pending a charge or trial, unless there are compelling reasons not to be released,” the statement reads.
They said such actions are a violation of patients' fundamental rights and a significant barrier to accessing essential healthcare.
“Every individual, regardless of their advocacy or opinions, deserves the right to health without fear of intimidation, harassment, or arrest.,” the statement added.
The Kenya Medical Association, the Law Society of Kenya and the Police Reforms Working Group-Kenya, an alliance of national and grassroots organizations committed to professional, accountable, and human rights-compliant policing, signed the statement.
The Police Working Group comprises Independent Medico-Legal Unit (IMLU), Kariobangi Paralegal Network, Defenders Coalition, Social Justice Centres Working Group (SJCW), Kenyan Section of the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ Kenya), International Justice Mission (IJM-K), HAKI Africa, Amnesty International Kenya, Women Empowerment Link, Social Welfare Development Programme (SOWED), Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC), Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA-Kenya) and International Centre for Transitional Justice (ICTJ Kenya).