At exactly 1:30 p.m. on July 7, a pregnant woman was wheeled into the operating theatre at Kitengela Sub-County Hospital. She had been booked in for a caeserian section as an emergency case.
But just as Dr. Sara Rashid, the surgeon, placed the patient on the table, goons burst into the hospital compound.
The goons, armed and believed to be part of the Saba Saba protest chaos, stormed in, turning what should have been a normal delivery into a scene of fear and confusion. They would then hold the hospital hostage for four hours.
“I was frightened. I could not move,” the doctor recalls.
“I had no option but to save a life. I could not leave the theatre. Leaving her meant she could bleed to death, and the baby might not survive.”
Did Kitengela Dr. Sara Rashid Perform the C-Section?
With no security and panic spreading through the hospital, the Dr. Rashid locked the theatre doors and forced herself to focus on the patient.
One nurse in the room lost concentration after hearing the shouting and banging outside, clearly shaken by the goons’ intrusion.
Still, Dr. Rashid pressed on. She completed the surgery, delivered the baby safely, and saved the mother’s life.
Outside the theatre, other health workers were under attack. The mob stormed through wards, terrifying staff and patients.
Some employees hid in supply rooms to stay safe. Children, mothers, and even newborns were left vulnerable.
One middle-aged man was rushed in after being shot during clashes with police in Kitengela town. He was treated by Red Cross staff inside the same facility now overwhelmed by fear.
Health workers described the ordeal as pure terror, unlike anything they had ever faced.
The incident has sparked national outrage.
Calls for better security at public health facilities have grown louder since the attack.
“I just want to feel safe doing my job,” the Kitengela doctor said “That’s all we ask.”
By Vivian K.