Man collapses, dies amid nurses’ strike in Machakos

Police pick up the body in Mlolongo, Machakos county./GEORGE OWITI

A man collapsed and died in Mlolongo, Machakos County, after reportedly failing to access medical attention early Thursday morning.

Witnesses said the man had walked to a local health facility before 8:00 a.m., only to find it closed.

He later sat near a footbridge along the busy Nairobi–Mombasa highway, where he began vomiting blood. Moments later, he collapsed and died.

“He came here very early and sat outside the hospital gate waiting for it to open. He started vomiting blood and then just dropped dead,” one eyewitness told The Star.

The deceased, believed to be a local mechanic, had no identification documents on him at the time.

Meanwhile, the man’s identity and exact cause of death remain unknown pending a postmortem.

According to Athi River East Subcounty Police Commander Anderson Mbae, members of the public rushed the man to Wellness Hospital in Mlolongo, where medics attempted to resuscitate him.

“A clinical officer reported that the man was brought in by members of the public, profusely bleeding from the mouth. He was awake but unresponsive, with no visible injuries. He succumbed during first aid as arrangements were being made to refer him,” Mbae said.

Police pick up the body in Mlolongo, Machakos county./GEORGE OWITI

Police later processed the scene together with detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).

The body, which bore no visible injuries, was taken to Nairobi Funeral Home (formerly City Mortuary) for identification and postmortem.

The incident attracted a large crowd of onlookers, both at the footbridge where the man collapsed and at the hospital as police removed the body.

The tragedy unfolded as public hospitals in Machakos remain shut due to an ongoing nurses’ strike.

The industrial action has left hundreds of residents with limited options, pushing those who can afford it to seek treatment in private facilities. Vulnerable residents with little or no income have been left without alternatives.

It remains unclear whether the nurses’ strike played a role in the man’s death, but locals believe his case highlights the struggles many face in accessing timely healthcare.

Machakos nurses have vowed not to return to work until their grievances are addressed by the county government.

Governor Wavinya Ndeti, earlier this week, urged the striking health workers to resume duty, accusing union leaders of politicising the strike. She also said her administration was open to dialogue.