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Youths storm Nazareth Hospital mortuary to release detained body


There was drama in Nazareth Hospital, Kiambu County, after 300 youths stormed the mortuary to forcibly take the body of a cobbler detained over unpaid bills.

The cobbler, identified as Joseph Mwangi Wanjiru from Kasarani, was admitted at the hospital in July 2017 after sudden sickness.

He died on October 10 and his body was detained over a bill of sh185,000.

The youths on Monday caused stir after they walked to the hospital carrying a casket that they intended to carry the body in.

They demanded to be shown directions to the mortuary.

CASH IN NEVER ENOUGH

“Its two months and they have refused to listen to us. We have been fundraising but the cash is never enough as the bill is accumulating on daily basis,” said one of the resident.

The irate mob had also sought the help of a catholic priest at the St Dominic Catholic Parish, Mwiki, who wrote a letter to the hospital for the forfeiture of the bill since the deceased was an orphan.

“I am kindly requesting if you can forfeit the hospital bill as a way of helping the deceased as even efforts to reach his extended relatives have turned futile,”read the letter from Fr Godfrey Ngugi dated October 30.

Speaking to Nairobi News, Clay City MCA Mwaura Samora said Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko cleared the bill at around 7pm after the youth started doing rounds in the hospital with the casket.

“The youths just wanted to show support to one of their own and they had tried the best they could to raise money and give him a decent send off. We thank the governor for his support,” said Mr Samora.

The  body was buried on Tuesday at Ndumberi public cemetery in Kiambu.