KNH takes action after patient discharge delay sparks uproar
Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) has issued a formal apology following a viral complaint on social media regarding the discharge process in Surgical Ward 4C.
The hospital, in a statement on Friday, November 14, 2025, confirmed that immediate disciplinary action has been taken against the officer involved, and the affected patient has since been discharged with reimbursement to the family underway.
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“Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) acknowledges the serious concern raised regarding the discharge process in Surgical Ward 4C. We wish to sincerely and unreservedly apologize to the affected family for the immense frustration and distress caused,” the hospital wrote.
The complaint, which circulated widely on social media, was posted by Kinoti Joseph, who described being trapped in the hospital’s Surgical Ward 4C while trying to have his child discharged.
He said that the officer handling discharges was prioritising people she personally knew while ignoring others waiting in line.
According to the post, Kinoti Joseph had been at the hospital since the previous day, observing other patients being attended to while his child’s discharge was delayed.
“I’m currently stuck at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), Surgical Ward 4C, and I honestly don’t know what else to do. The SHA officer handling discharges at the 4D office is very rude, corrupt, and abusive. Since yesterday, I’ve been waiting in line to have my child discharged. This officer keeps ignoring the queue and only attends to people she personally calls aside – people she seems to know,” Kinoti wrote on X.
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He claimed the officer fined him for an extra day’s stay, which he paid only to be told later that his child would not be discharged unless he submitted an apology letter stamped by the area chief.
The father emphasised that he had not insulted the officer and only questioned the perceived favouritism and unfair treatment.
“We’ve been here since yesterday, yet she just walks out, brings in others, processes them fast, and leaves the rest of us stranded. When I politely told her that what she was doing was unfair, she got angry, banged her office door, and later called me in. Inside, she fined me Ksh 2,070, saying my baby overstayed an extra day after discharge,” he wrote.
The viral complaint drew widespread attention, prompting calls for accountability and urgent action from both the public and authorities.
In response, KNH further acknowledged the seriousness of the concern and apologised unreservedly to the affected family for the frustration and distress caused.
The hospital described the reported conduct as unacceptable and not reflective of its standards or values.
“The reported conduct is unacceptable and does not represent the values or the standard of care we are committed to providing at KNΗ,” KNH wrote.
KNH confirmed that disciplinary proceedings have been initiated against the officer in question, who is part of the team handling SHA clearance, in line with hospital HR policies.
They added that the patient involved has since been discharged, and reimbursement to the family has been processed.
“Further to this, the Hospital has taken immediate and decisive action: Disciplinary proceedings have been initiated against the KNH officer in question, who is part of the team handling SHA clearance, in accordance with our HR policy. I wish to confirm that the patient has since been discharged. In addition, the reimbursement to the family has been initiated,” they wrote.
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Steve Ireri
Steve is a senior writer with over four years of experience in digital journalism. His focus is on the showbiz and human interest stories. Emails: [email protected] , [email protected]
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