Credit: SeventyFour
A concerned Kenyan parent has sparked debate online after sharing a shocking experience at a public Level 4 hospital, highlighting what they describe as the growing arrogance and neglect among civil servants.
The parent, who posted anonymously in the Parenting Teenagers Hub Facebook group, questioned the state of public services in Kenya, from healthcare to education and even retail.
According to the parent, their 17-year-old son was taken to a government hospital while seriously ill. “I wasn’t in a position to accompany him because I was far away. He is old enough to express himself,” the parent wrote.
Yet, upon registration, the first question he faced was: “Umepima ukimwi?” — asked openly in front of other patients. “At 17 years, come on? How do you just blast out such words to a very sick young man who was already traumatized?” the parent lamented.
The ordeal didn’t end there. The teenager reportedly waited for four hours without receiving meaningful care, as nurses reportedly left for lunch and showed little concern for his worsening condition.
It was only when the parent sent him to a private clinic that he finally received prompt attention and was revived.
This experience, the parent says, is not isolated to hospitals. “Teachers, especially in high schools, behave as if they’re semi-gods,” they wrote. Even supermarkets, they noted, often display an attitude as though services are being given as a favor rather than a paid-for right..
For many, the post is a call to action. “When did we become this heartless as a country?” the parent asked, urging fellow Kenyans to demand better treatment for citizens in public institutions.
Discussions now focus not only on improving infrastructure and staffing but also on cultivating a culture of empathy and professionalism among public servants.