Dr. Simon Mwangi is a man whose name cannot be left out when talking about political detainees.

This is not because he was one of them, but he interacted with majority of the detainees in his profession among them former Subukia Member of Parliament Koigi Wa Wamwere.

Dr. Mwangi is one Doctor in Nakuru who took care of the health of these detainees.

This was not an easy job as during the historical detention time, many Doctors would never dare to associate with political detainees.

Read: Shujaa: The bold, defiant and unforgettable Koigi Wa Wamwere

In an exclusive interview with Mtaa Wangu on November 9, 2023, Dr. Mwangi says anyone who associated with political detainees was deemed as part of their scheme against the government of the day.

He opines that at that time it was an unwritten criminal offense.

"Many doctors in Nakuru feared to attend to the politicians who had been arrested for being anti-government during Moi's era," he says.

However, for Dr. Mwangi he chose to follow the narrow path that many feared, just to ensure good health for these group of politicians who were fighting against political injustices.

A man who around 1993 resigned from public facilities due to what he terms 'too much workload with little pay' and ventured into private medical services, would turn out to be the only Doctor for the detainees.

"Those arrested needed to be attended to but no Doctor was willing to do so and so I took it upon myself to do it," he states.

According to him, he saved the health of many political leaders who had been arrested agitating for justice.

However, this landed him in trouble with the government of the day.

Also Read: Places in Nakuru where Mzee Moi left his footprints

He recalls an incident in 1993 where he was arrested for doing his job and ensuring the political prisoners in Nakuru are in good health.

"I was arrested and questioned at the Nakuru DCI offices why I was associating with political prisoners but President Moi latter declared that I be released," he adds.

His release, he points out, saw many officers from the DCI become his friends and finally his clients as a Doctor.

Besides, Dr. Mwangi who has a background in General Medicine hence a General Physician, says he is a proud man as his efforts have informed Independent Medical Legal Unit as well as Article 49 of the constitution of Kenya.

Related: The defining moments of Koigi Wa Wamwere

He is also among Directors of the Nakuru War Memorial Hospital. His advice to the professionals in the medicine field is to stick to the ethics.

He also urges the political leaders to keep politics out of health matters.

pmambili@gmail.com

I was arrested for taking care of political detainees, a Nakuru doctor's story

Author Spotlight

Pristone Mambili