Quack nurse sentenced to two years imprisonment
A 32 year-old man who impersonated a nurse and even treated some patients at Embu Level Five Hospital has been sentenced to two years imprisonment.
Embu Senior Resident Magistrate Vincent Nyakundi said prosecution had proved beyond doubt that Mr Erick Mukundi had indeed impersonated a public health worker, before someone discovered that he was not a nurse.
The crime was committed on September 9, 2016.
Witnesses told the court how on the material day, Mr Mukundi entered ward one at the Embu Level Five hospital and wore a nurse’s uniform that was hanged in one of the rooms.
He then proceeded to treat and administer medicine to some patients who were admitted in the ward.
A nurse working in the same ward became suspicious as he had not seen the man before and inquired whether he was recently transferred to the station.
ARRESTED
The nurse narrated to the court how at one point Mr Mukundi sought to use the hospital phone to inquire something since he was new and was not familiar with the hospital settings.
She alerted the hospital management who visited the ward and interrogated Mr Mukundi who confessed that he was not a trained nurse.
The hospital management informed the police who arrived and arrested and locked him at Embu police station.
While delivering the sentence, the magistrate said that it was unlawful for the accused to impersonate a medic since the harm he could have caused would be grave.
“The harm could have been worse than one who impersonating a lawyer since some of his action cannot be reversed,” said Mr Nyakundi.
In mitigation Mr Mukundi told the court that he was the sole breadwinner to his family, taking care of his elderly mother and two other siblings.
He said he was tired of being jobless was just doing it out of a desire to get permanent job. The accused was given 14 days to appeal the sentence.
