Less than a month after gaining widespread praise for publicly thanking a matatu crew that rushed her to hospital during a medical emergency, Viola Nekesa has been fired from her job—a move she believes is linked to the publicity surrounding the incident.
Nekesa, who had been on sick leave, said she received a termination letter dated April 24, which cited performance issues as the reason for her dismissal, though no specifics were given.
“That is unbelievable because I should have been on probation, but then my performance was similar to the rest of the team,” she lamented.
What baffles her most is the timing of the dismissal, which came shortly after her story went viral.
The incident occurred earlier this month when Nekesa, who was unwell while in Nairobi’s Central Business District, boarded a matatu operated by Audiophile Expresso Sacco to get to her home in Ongata Rongai and seek medical attention. Mid-journey, her condition deteriorated, and she began experiencing breathing complications.
In a widely shared story, the matatu crew quickly responded, with the conductor alerting the driver, who then diverted the fully loaded vehicle to Nairobi West Hospital’s Emergency Department, potentially saving her life.
