KNH Under Probe over Claims of Failing to Attend to Author Ken Walibora for over 10 Hours

The Senate has opened a probe into claims that author Ken Walibora died after medics at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) refused to attend to him.

Walibora was rushed to KNH in a Nairobi County government ambulance after he was hit by a matatu while crossing Landhies Road in Nairobi CBD on Friday, April 10th.

He allegedly remained unattended from 10.30 am to about midnight when he passed away, Citizen TV reported. Walibora had been reported missing since April 10th before his lifeless body was found at KNH mortuary on Wednesday, April 15th.

The Senate, through Twitter on Friday, said the House Health Committee has launched an inquiry into reports that the ‘Siku Njema’ author was neglected at KNH.

“The Senate Committee on Health, chaired by Senator Michael Mbito (Trans Nzoia County) has considered reports of the alleged negligence of the late Prof Ken Walibora at the emergency unit of Kenyatta National Hospital. The committee resolved to meet the CEO (Dr. Evanson Kamuri) on Monday (April 27) as inquiry leading to his death sets off,” the Senate said.

A postmortem examination done by Chief Government Pathologist Dr. Johansen Oduor revealed that Walibora had a deep cut between his thumb and index finger. Oduor observed that the cut was not as a result of the motor vehicle accident.

In addition, two teeth were missing and he had a blood clot in his head. “He had a cracked jaw on his right side, his right hand was broken and also he had a clot on his right side of the head, and he had lost two teeth all these are common with a motor vehicle accident,” said Oduor.

“He had a wound cut caused by a sharp knife on the space between his thumb and the index finger which is not familiar with motor vehicle accidents.” 

Eyewitnesses told Citizen TV that Walibora was being chased after by a group of people and was knocked down by a bus in the process. “Alikuja akikimbizwa na machokoraa akavuka ya kwanza ya pili akagongwa na gari,” a witness said.

Walibora was laid to rest on April 22nd at his home in Cherangany, Trans-Nzoia County in absence of his widow Ann Chebet and his two children Sheila Zawadi and Katila Samba, who all live in the US. The three could not travel to Kenya for his burial due to travel restrictions prompted by the global outbreak of Covid-19.