Kenyan Nurse in UK Heroically Saves Patient's Life, But Faces Racist Backlash Online

Country: United Kingdom
Date Published: November 27, 2025

In a heartwarming yet contentious story captivating Kenya's diaspora communities, Mercy Wanjiku, a Kenyan nurse based in London, has gone viral on X (formerly Twitter) after sharing a video of herself single-handedly resuscitating a patient during a chaotic night shift at a National Health Service (NHS) hospital. The 32-year-old, who emigrated from Nairobi three years ago, posted the footage on November 27, 2025, which quickly amassed over 250,000 views, thousands of retweets, and praise from fellow Kenyans abroad and locals alike. However, the celebration has been marred by a wave of racist trolls targeting her, igniting fierce debates about xenophobia in the UK's healthcare sector.

Wanjiku's post, timestamped at 2:14 AM GMT on November 27, detailed the high-stakes moment: "Last night was tough. Patient coding, no backup for 10 mins. I did CPR, stabilized him. Grateful to God. #NHSHeroes #KenyanInUK." Accompanied by a 45-second clip showing her performing chest compressions amid beeping monitors and dim emergency room lights, the tweet exploded within hours. Verified Kenyan influencer @KenyansAbroadNews retweeted it with, "This is why we shine abroad! Mercy, you're a queen. 🇰🇪❤️ #DiasporaPride," garnering 15K likes. Regular users from the Kenyan diaspora in the UK, US, and Canada flooded the thread with stories of their own frontline heroics, turning it into a trending topic under #KenyanNursesUK.

The positive buzz was amplified by UK news accounts like @BBCHealth, which quoted NHS officials praising "dedicated international staff" like Wanjiku, noting that over 20% of NHS nurses are from overseas, including a significant number from Kenya. Kenyan Member of Parliament diaspora representative @HonWanjalaMP posted, "Mercy embodies the resilience of our 3 million Kenyans abroad. UK, treat our people right!" with 8K retweets. Success stories poured in: one user, @KiplimoInCanada, shared, "Similar story here in Toronto General. We Kenyans save lives daily." The thread evolved into a virtual support group, with fundraisers proposed for Wanjiku's community work back home.

Yet, controversy erupted as racist replies surfaced, with anonymous accounts deriding her as a "foreign leech" and questioning her qualifications. One viral troll tweet read, "NHS collapsing because of people like this. Go back to Kenya!"—prompting over 5K quote-tweets condemning the hate. Kenyan X users mobilized, with @DiasporaWatchKE launching a counter-thread: "Racism won't dim our light. Mercy saved a Brit life—where's the gratitude?" by 10 AM, it had 100K impressions. This backlash mirrors ongoing discussions on X about discrimination faced by African healthcare workers in the UK, especially post-Brexit visa tightenings. A November 25 thread by @MigrantRightsUK highlighted similar cases, noting a 30% rise in reported abuse against East African nurses since 2024.

The incident underscores the dual-edged sword of visibility for Kenyans abroad. Wanjiku followed up at noon, stating, "Hate won't stop me. I came here to serve, not to be served. Prayers for the patient 🙏." Her resilience drew support from high-profile figures, including Kenyan singer @SautiSol's lead, who offered to fly her family over. Discussions spilled into related trends like #EndNHSRacism, where users shared stats: Kenya supplies 5,000+ nurses annually to the UK, per a viral infographic from @KenyaHealthWatch.

As the story trended into December 2, with over 1 million combined engagements, it highlighted broader challenges and triumphs. Positive voices dominated, with users celebrating Wanjiku as a symbol of Kenyan excellence—echoing recent viral wins like a Kenyan engineer's NASA promotion in the US (November 20 post). Yet, the racist undercurrent fueled calls for action, with petitions circulating for better protections. NHS England issued a statement via X: "We stand against all discrimination and celebrate our global team."

Wanjiku's ordeal has galvanized the Kenyan diaspora, fostering unity amid adversity. From celebratory emojis 🇰🇪 to stern warnings against bigotry, X threads reveal a community proud yet protective. As one user poignantly tweeted, "We build their systems, heal their sick—time they build ours too." This blend of heroism and hostility encapsulates the Kenyan abroad experience, where every viral moment is a battleground for recognition and respect.

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