Kenyan Nurse in Saudi Arabia Sparks Outrage After Alleged Abuse Video Goes Viral

Country: Saudi Arabia
Date Published: December 12, 2025

A video purportedly showing a Kenyan nurse in Saudi Arabia physically abusing an elderly patient has ignited fierce debates across X (formerly Twitter), with thousands of users from the Kenyan diaspora and back home demanding justice and accountability. The clip, shared initially by a verified Saudi news account @SaudiHealthWatch on December 12, quickly amassed over 50,000 views within hours, prompting a flood of reactions from Kenyan influencers, regular users, and diaspora communities. Posters like @KenyaDiasporaHub (a popular account with 120K followers) amplified the video, questioning the treatment of Kenyan workers abroad and calling for intervention from the Kenyan embassy.

The incident, allegedly filmed at a private clinic in Riyadh, depicts the nurse, identified in comments as Mercy Wanjiku (name circulating widely but unverified), slapping and verbally berating the patient during what appears to be a routine check-up. Discussions erupted into trending topics like #JusticeForSaudiPatient and #KenyansInSaudi, with users sharing screenshots of the nurse's now-deleted X profile boasting about her high salary and luxurious lifestyle. Regular users such as @DiasporaMumKE tweeted, "We've been warning our sisters about these jobs in Gulf countries. Money isn't worth losing your dignity or freedom," garnering 2K retweets. On the flip side, some defended her, claiming the video was edited or taken out of context, with one thread by @GulfKenyanWorkers arguing it highlights broader workplace stresses faced by migrant nurses.

Kenyan news accounts like @CitizenTVKenya and @K24Tv retweeted the story, linking it to ongoing concerns about exploitation of Kenyan domestic and healthcare workers in the Middle East. A viral thread by influencer @BonifaceMwangi (verified, 1.2M followers) detailed similar past cases, stating, "Over 10,000 Kenyans in Saudi face abuse yearly. Embassy asleep? #EndModernSlavery." Responses poured in, with diaspora Kenyans in the US and UK sharing personal stories of harassment, while others criticized the nurse directly: "Proud Kenyan tarnishing our name abroad," tweeted @UKKikuyu, liked 5K times. The Kenyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs has yet to issue an official statement, but X users are tagging @MFAKenya relentlessly.

As the controversy rages, the video has reportedly led to the nurse's suspension pending investigation, according to follow-up posts from @ArabNewsEnglish. Saudi authorities confirmed an inquiry via their official X handle, fueling hopes for resolution. The backlash underscores the double-edged sword of Gulf migration for Kenyans—lucrative jobs versus vulnerability—amid economic pressures at home. With remittance inflows hitting record highs this year, discussions on X continue to balance pride in diaspora hustle with urgent calls for better protections.