KISUMU. The Kenya National Union of Nurses and Midwives (KNUNM) has defended nurses at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) after a wave of social media posts accused staff of negligence and poor treatment.
What happened
- Posts online alleged negligence, staff misconduct and long discharge delays. Some families said relatives died while seeking care. These claims have not been confirmed.
- The hospital launched internal investigations, and the Ministry of Health sent Medical Services PS Ouma Oluga to assess the situation.
The union’s position
- Many problems are systemic: “shortages of staff, inadequate resources, congestion, heavy workloads”.
- It condemned online harassment and trolling of nurses.
- It accepted that any proven misconduct should go through proper accountability processes.
- It will work with the Nursing Council of Kenya, the Ministry of Health, Kisumu County and the hospital board.
“Patients deserve quality care, nurses deserve dignity and a safe working environment,” the union said.
A pattern across Kenya
The JOOTRH row comes as nurses at KUTRRH threaten to strike from 9 November, and as public health officers suspend a 94-day strike to fight Ebola. Overstretched staff and stretched patience are a dangerous mix.
If you’re targeted online
- Don’t respond publicly, and don’t share patient information to defend yourself, because that breaches confidentiality.
- Screenshot threats and report them to your manager and union.
- Document staffing levels on shifts where care was compromised.
Source: The Kenya Times (11 October 2026).