Kenyan Nurse in Saudi Arabia Goes Viral for Saving Colleague's Life Amid Work Permit Scandal

Country: Saudi Arabia
Date Published: November 27, 2025

In a story that's captivated the Kenyan diaspora and sparked heated debates on X (formerly Twitter), Mercyline Wanjiku, a Kenyan nurse based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, became an overnight sensation after heroically saving the life of a fellow Kenyan worker during a medical emergency last week. The incident, which unfolded on November 22, 2025, at a private hospital in the Saudi capital, was first shared in a viral thread by verified Kenyan influencer @KenyansAbroadKE, amassing over 45,000 likes and 12,000 retweets within hours. Wanjiku's quick thinking—administering CPR and stabilizing her colleague who had suffered a cardiac arrest—has been hailed as a testament to the resilience of Kenyan professionals abroad, but it has also ignited controversy over exploitative work permits and poor living conditions for East African migrants in the Gulf kingdom.

The thread, posted by @KenyansAbroadKE on November 27, detailed how Wanjiku, a 32-year-old nurse from Kiambu County who has worked in Saudi Arabia for five years, rushed to aid 28-year-old domestic worker Amina Cherono during a routine shift handover. Eyewitness accounts shared by regular users like @RiyadhHustler254 and @DiasporaMumKE described a chaotic scene where hospital protocols allegedly delayed emergency response, forcing Wanjiku to intervene single-handedly. "She didn't hesitate. Pushed the doctors aside and saved her life. That's Kenyan power! 🇰🇪💪," tweeted @RiyadhHustler254, a post that garnered 8,000 engagements. Video footage circulating on X, purportedly filmed by a colleague, shows Wanjiku performing chest compressions while shouting instructions in Swahili, a clip reposted by news account @CitizenTVKE to over 200,000 views. Cherono, originally from Eldoret, was transferred to intensive care and is reportedly recovering, crediting Wanjiku in a follow-up audio note shared widely.

While the positive buzz has dominated feeds— with hashtags #MercylineTheHero and #KenyansInSaudi trending in Kenya and among diaspora circles—the story has unearthed deeper grievances. Numerous replies and quote-tweets from verified accounts like @MigrantWorkersKE and influencers such as @GulfKenyansVoice highlighted systemic issues plaguing Kenyan workers in Saudi Arabia. One viral thread by @MigrantWorkersKE, posted the same day, accused recruitment agencies of issuing fraudulent work permits (iqamas) that trap workers in debt bondage, with users sharing screenshots of Wanjiku's own complaints from earlier in the month about delayed salary payments and overcrowded housing. "Mercy is a hero, but who's saving her from these slave contracts? Saudi jails Kenyans for 'absconding' when they can't pay fees," read a top reply from @TruthSeeker254, echoing sentiments from over 5,000 users. Data referenced in the discussions, pulled from Kenyan government reports shared on X, indicates that over 120,000 Kenyans are employed in Saudi Arabia, with at least 300 facing deportation threats annually due to permit disputes.

The discourse has drawn responses from official channels, amplifying the story's reach. Kenya's Ministry of Foreign Affairs account @ForeignAffairsKE retweeted praise for Wanjiku while promising an investigation into work permit irregularities, stating on November 28: "We celebrate Mercyline's bravery and are engaging Saudi authorities on migrant welfare. #ProtectOurDiaspora." However, skepticism abounds, with users like @GenZRevolutionKE—known for anti-government activism—labeling it "too little, too late," linking it to broader diaspora remittances that hit KSh 700 billion last year despite such hardships. Saudi-based Kenyan community pages, including @RiyadhKenyans, organized an impromptu online fundraiser for Cherono's medical bills, raising KSh 500,000 in 24 hours through M-Pesa links shared on X.

Wanjiku herself addressed the frenzy in a heartfelt video posted on November 27 evening, viewed 150,000 times: "I'm no hero, just doing my job. But pray for us here—permits expire without warning, and we're far from home." Her modest response has endeared her further, positioning her as a symbol of quiet strength amid adversity. As discussions continue to rage, with over 50,000 posts under related hashtags by December 2, this incident underscores the dual narrative of Kenyan diaspora life: extraordinary individual triumphs overshadowed by institutional challenges. Analysts on X, including economist @DrKipropEcon, warn that without reforms, such stories could deter future migration, impacting Kenya's vital remittance economy. For now, Mercyline Wanjiku stands as a beacon, her act of valor fueling calls for change far beyond Riyadh's hospital wards.

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