Watch: Newly Released CCTV Footage Shows Grace Mullei’s Abduction

A newly surfaced video reveals the controversial arrest of Grace Njoki Mulei, a 61-year-old woman who was detained by police after participating in a protest about Kenya’s healthcare system. The video has sparked widespread outrage across the country, with many criticizing the police’s actions and the government’s handling of healthcare issues.

On January 15, 2025, Grace Njoki joined a group of protesters at the Ministry of Health to voice concerns about the state of the country’s healthcare system, particularly the poorly functioning SHA (Social Health Access) program. While protesting for improved healthcare services, she was arrested for allegedly causing a disturbance.

What has upset many people, however, is the way she was apprehended—she was dragged out of a hospital while seeking medical care. This has raised serious human rights concerns and questions about the abuse of police power.

According to the police, they tracked her down near Hombe Road, off Juja Road, and arrested her before taking her to Upper Hill Police Station. Despite being ill and in a hospital, she was taken into custody, which has further fueled public anger.

The arrest footage quickly went viral on social media, showing Njoki being escorted by numerous officers, some in riot gear, to a police vehicle.

The footage sparked a flood of reactions on Twitter, with many expressing disbelief and condemnation. One user, Johnnybrian111, wrote, “People are getting arrested for speaking the truth and protesting, but the real wrongdoers are left to boast and intimidate us on live TV. Our system is broken.”

CCTV footage exposes how police dramatically arrested Grace Njoki and dragged her out of Ladnan Hospital pic.twitter.com/fZZxrZeEwh

— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) January 24, 2025

Others, such as Clinton Ogoro, accused the government of ignoring human life and failing to address the country’s healthcare issues.

Several commentators also criticized the excessive use of police resources. Mtema Kuni remarked, “It’s a waste of resources… a sick woman is being handled by an entire police station, including traffic cops in riot gear.” Antony Alexanderia Irungu added, “It’s disgusting to drag a patient from the hospital to jail. Her only crime was asking for better healthcare.”

Professional bodies like the Kenya Medical Association, the Law Society of Kenya, and the Police Reforms Working Group have condemned the treatment of Njoki. They argued that demanding better health services is not a crime and that patients should not be punished for standing up for their rights. They called for Njoki’s immediate release and the dropping of charges.

Njoki was later released on a Ksh. 10,000 police bail, but her lawyer stated that the police remained unclear about the charges against her.

Civil rights organizations and medical associations have also called for the charges to be dropped and for the right of patients to protest without fear of arrest or intimidation.