A four-year-old girl and her mother remain detained at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) in Eldoret after failing to clear a medical bill amounting to Ksh.124,000. The young girl, who had been undergoing treatment for kidney failure, was discharged last week after recovering but cannot leave the facility due to the unpaid bill.
The girl’s mother, Marren Anyango, from Uriri sub-county in Migori County, has been at her daughter’s bedside since the child was admitted on March 8, 2025. Despite her daughter’s recovery, Anyango says she is unable to raise the funds required to secure their release from the hospital.
Speaking to Ramogi FM, a distressed Anyango revealed that the bill continues to accumulate each day they remain in the hospital, further deepening her family’s financial woes. “I am grateful that my daughter has recovered, but we are now trapped here because of a bill we cannot afford to pay,” she said.
Back home, the situation is equally dire. Anyango is a mother of six, and her other children have been locked out of their rented home due to unpaid rent. “My children are now staying with a neighbor, but even she is overwhelmed,” Anyango explained tearfully. She fears for their well-being as they struggle without basic necessities.
The desperate mother is now appealing for help from Migori County leaders, the national government, and well-wishers to assist her in settling the hospital bill and reuniting with her other children. “I’m pleading with anyone who can help us. I just want to go home and be with all my children again,” she said.
This situation highlights the growing concern over medical detentions in public hospitals across Kenya, particularly affecting vulnerable families who cannot afford specialized healthcare. Advocacy groups have previously called on the government to implement a more humane and supportive healthcare financing model, especially for low-income households dealing with chronic illnesses.
Any contributions towards Marren Anyango’s hospital bill can help reunite her with her children and restore dignity to a family already burdened by illness and poverty.
