Nurses Demand Apology from MP Farah Maalim Over Demeaning Remarks

The National Nurses Association of Kenya (NNAK) has condemned remarks made by Dadaab Member of Parliament Farah Maalim in the National Assembly on March 31, 2026, which the association says demeaned the nursing profession, demanding a public apology within seven days or face a march on Parliament.

Speaking to the press at the Pride Inn Paradise Hotel in Mombasa, NNAK President Collins Ajwang said the MP’s utterances demonstrated a deep ignorance of the nursing profession, its educational framework, and its structure.

“We are here as National Nurses Association of Kenya leadership to demonstrate our displeasure with the utterances that emanated from the MP of Dadaab, Honorable Farah Maalim, in Parliament,” Ajwang said. “We take it that Honorable Farah Maalim is a hostile MP to the nurses and the nursing profession in Kenya.”

Ajwang noted that nurses constitute 70 per cent of the health workforce in Kenya, including in the MP’s own constituency of Dadaab, where nurses man health facilities under the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

The association also rallied behind Abdia El Moge, the recently appointed chief officer for health in Garissa County, whose appointment by Governor Nathif Jamal came under attack from the MP. NNAK said the appointment was made on merit following an open competitive process in which candidates from multiple health cadres, including doctors, participated.

“The court pronounced itself on the appointments of leadership positions in both national and county governments, and it was very categorical that it was not based on one cadre,” Ajwang said. “There is no one cadre that manages health systems.”

The association further raised concerns over an incident involving a doctor, Ronoh, who allegedly confronted and threatened Abdia at her workstation after she declined to immediately release him for a fellowship program at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH). NNAK said the chief officer had deferred his release pending the return of two other pediatricians already undergoing training at KNH, leaving the county with only three pediatricians.

“How come the doctor did not follow the right protocol? He went to the office of the Chief Health Officer, Madam Abdia, threatened her, assaulted her, and made sure that she could not perform her duties. This incident involves gender-based violence against the nurse, and we are going to take action against the officer involved,” Ajwang said.

NNAK also called on Health Cabinet Secretary Hon. Aden Duale to publicly defend health workers facing political attacks. The association demanded that the National Assembly Speaker direct MPs to channel any concerns about public servants through substantive motions rather than open-floor remarks.

Professor Lucy Gitonga, a senior nursing leader, said nursing meets all the hallmarks of a profession, including an extensive body of knowledge, ethical conduct regulated by the Nursing Council of Kenya, and professional autonomy.

“I want to remind him of the qualities of a profession because nursing is a profession. Our roles are not competitive, our roles are complementary, and that is why nursing should be respected as a unique profession with its unique body of knowledge,” Prof. Gitonga said.

NNAK Secretary Daniel Chelal said MPs should focus on advocating for adequate resources and staffing for counties rather than attacking health professions. He cited high global demand for Kenyan nurses as evidence of their competence, noting that countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia actively recruit Kenyan nurses.

“If these nurses are not trained, then why is it that they can be able to treat patients abroad, and locally we are not appreciating them? We need the members of Parliament to appreciate the role of a nurse,” Chelal said.

The association issued a seven-day ultimatum to Farah Maalim to apologize to Garissa Governor Nathif Jamal, Chief Officer Abdia, and the nursing fraternity at large. Failure to comply, NNAK warned, would prompt a mobilization of nursing and healthcare workers to march on Parliament.