Police officers in Elgeyo Marakwet County are on the hunt for six armed men who stormed Iten County Referral Hospital and forcibly took a patient who was being treated for a gunshot wound.
The patient had been rushed to the hospital after being shot by bandits and had been treated and was ready for discharge when police received information that there was a plan to rescue him by his accomplices.
In response, a team of officers from the Kenya Police and the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) were quickly mobilized and sent to the hospital to ensure the patient’s safety.
Four police officers went to the ward to assist with the patient’s discharge, while six other officers were stationed at the main hospital gate, according to the police statement with the OB No. 02 of 10/04/2023.
However, in the early hours of the morning, around 2:10 am, a group of ten young men stormed the hospital and smashed windows at the entrance of the ward where the patient was being discharged.
They managed to overpower the police officers and successfully rescued the patient, before fleeing the scene with him.
Elgeyo Marakwet Police Commander Francis Nguli explained that the officers did not want to cause a commotion at the hospital, as there were many patients there and the situation could have escalated. He emphasized that the officers exercised diplomacy to avoid worsening the health of the patients.
Police have launched investigations into the incident, and efforts are underway to apprehend the six men who are still at large.
