Kenyan Nurse in US Fired After Viral Video of Her Confronting Racist Patient Sparks Outrage

Country: United States
Date Published: January 11, 2026

A Kenyan nurse working in a Texas hospital has become the center of a heated online debate after a video surfaced showing her confronting a patient who allegedly used racial slurs against her. The clip, which exploded on X (formerly Twitter) with over 500,000 views in under 24 hours, depicts 32-year-old Esther Wanjiku standing her ground in the hospital room, telling the patient, "Your hate won't steal my peace—I'm here saving lives, including yours." Posted by a fellow Kenyan expat account @DiasporaWatchKE on January 10, 2026, the video quickly trended under hashtags #JusticeForEsther and #KenyansInUS, drawing support from influencers like comedian Crazy Kennar and verified news outlet @CitiFMKenya.

According to discussions flooding X timelines, Wanjiku, who has lived in Houston for five years after qualifying as a registered nurse, was abruptly fired the next day by hospital administrators citing "disruption of patient care." Regular users and diaspora accounts, including @KenyanAbroadHub (with 45K followers), shared screenshots of her termination email, amplifying claims of unfair treatment. "This is peak racism— she defended herself and got punished," tweeted @MugabeUS, whose post garnered 12K likes and retweets from US-based Kenyan communities. Threads from verified user @DrMikeMukula detailed similar past incidents faced by Black healthcare workers, fueling accusations that the hospital prioritized the patient's complaint over staff safety.

Supporters rallied online, launching a petition on Change.org that amassed 20,000 signatures by January 11, demanding her reinstatement and an investigation into workplace racism. High-profile Kenyan-American influencer @AnneKiguta reposted the video, writing, "Esther is every Kenyan hustling abroad. Hospitals can't keep sweeping this under the rug." Counterarguments emerged from some users, like @TexasMedVoice, who argued the confrontation violated professional conduct codes, but these were drowned out by the pro-Wanjiku wave, with viral memes portraying her as a "diaspora warrior."

The story has ignited broader conversations on X about the challenges faced by over 500,000 Kenyans in the US, from workplace discrimination to exploitation in essential sectors like healthcare. As of January 13, hospital officials have not commented publicly, but Wanjiku herself posted an update thanking supporters: "God is my defender. I'll fight this." Diaspora groups are now organizing virtual town halls, turning her ordeal into a rallying cry for better protections for immigrant workers.