A post made by The Nairobi Hospital has sparked a debate online after Kenyans found the prices to be quite exorbitant.
The hospital published the prices targeting parents and guardians of male children under 14 years or simply those within the circumcision bracket.
In the shared publication, the Nairobi hospital indicated that the package includes the surgeon’s fees and theatre charges, with local and general anesthesia set to cost Ksh.70,000 and Ksh. 90,000, respectively.
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Shocked Reactions
“90,000 Kenyatta dollars for circumcision, my boys travelled to the village with their father, and I think it’s like 300 Bob, and their grandmother nursed them,” Cathy Mutuku reacted on X.
Kenyans shared more such comments, with some explaining that when their children reach the initiation stage, they send them upcountry, where the charges are a bit lower and pocket-friendly, claiming that circumcision is the same in every region of the world.
“We from the Savanah pay 1k max, no anaesthesia (local or general), 2 weeks maximum to healing, no complications,” tweeted Sentience
“Inflation is killing this nation for real. Removing a foreskin is now that expensive! Back when I was barely 10 years old, my father called the guy who cut us off from our home. My younger brother went first, because I was afraid to die. We got laid on our kitchen table as they cleaned…,” another social media user posted.
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Endorsements
The same post, which caused a frenzy and drew great criticism from most, as they found the prices high for a simple procedure, also garnered some support.
Some social users who found the charges reasonable argued that in Nairobi, an urban setting and a first-tier hospital, the prices can’t match those from the rural areas.
An X user, Marion Moigesh, tweeted that the experience and services offered at Nairobi Hospital can’t match those of lower-level facilities, citing high class and standards.
“I endorse this. Why should we normalize pain. Same way we choose CS to avoid labor at least we nurse the kidonda later. If one can afford go for it, as a nurse I endorse na mniite I do the after care.”
Simon Gikonyo also supported by tweeting that to him it’s not just about the cost but how the process is done, arguing that it’s less painful with the anesthesia compared to the process done traditionally in the rural areas dubbed “savanna” by some users
“I don’t think it’s about the cost but the process itself, which is a cultural practice. Small pain is necessary for the transition from boys to young men.”
What is your view on these charges?
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