Nakuru County on the spot for arresting nun who blocked measles vaccination

Religious and political leaders have lashed out at Nakuru County officials over the arrest and incarceration of a Catholic nun for allegedly blocking the just ended measles vaccination.

Led by Nakuru Arch-Diocese Bishop Maurice Muhatia, the leaders vowed to take action against the county officials for humiliating the nun.

On Monday, public health and security officers from the county arrested Sister Cecelia Njeri after she blocked them from vaccinating students from one of the Catholic schools in Bahati.

The nun was later locked up in a police station and released later that night with a police bond of Ksh 5,000 after the intervention of senior government officers.

First to criticize the move was NACADA chairman John Mututho who termed the action as the worst for Catholic faithful in the country.

Mututho said that the blame lay squarely with Governor Kinuthia Mbugua and that he should publicly apologize to all Christians.

“The nun was acting on orders from the Bishop over the immunization and it’s sad that she had to be humiliated and locked up in a police cell,” he said.

Addressing the press at the Mai Mahiu Italian Catholic Church, Mututho accused the county officials of taking the country back to the dark colonial days.

“The blame lies squarely with the Governor and it’s unimaginable that the officers stripped the nun of her crucifix, head scarf and waist cord which mean a lot to Catholics,” he said.

The former Naivasha MP lashed out at the county government for failing to address the issue of cholera noting that nearly all the sub-counties had been affected.

“The Governor has shifted from harassing hawkers and is now targeting nuns and the arrest of the nun was unconstitutional,” he said.

Speaking on phone, Bishop Muhatia condemned the arrest and accused the county government of unfairly targeting schools operated by the Catholic Church.

Muhatia termed the incident as humiliating, not only to the nun but also the church, adding that they will soon address the matter.

“The national government through the county commissioner has issued an apology over the matter as the county government continues to harass our staff and students,” he said.

The Bishop defended the nun noting that he had communicated to all Catholic run schools to keep off from the countrywide measles vaccination.

“The church has reservations over the measles campaign which is shrouded in mystery which the government has failed to address,” he said.

Report by Karanja Kimani