Three deny stealing body from Kenyatta National Hospital
Three men among them a mortuary attendant were on Tuesday charged with stealing the body of a four-year-old boy from the Kenyatta National Hospital morgue in Nairobi.
In a bizarre case, Stephen Kende, the mortician, Dennis Nyarori and Paul Geshobi are accused of stealing the body of Ezekiel Mungai Wanjiru on June 23.
According to a charge sheet, the accused committed the offence at 7.20 a m but were arrested at the hospital’s gate.
The court heard that the body was bundled in the boot of a car which Mr Nyarori and Mr Geshobi had driven into the hospital.
Hospital security alerted police officers from Capital Hill police station who upon investigation arrested Mr Kende.
“You are jointly charged that on June 23 at 7.20 am at Kenyatta hospital, you stole the body of Ezekiel Mungai Wanjiru, the property of Kenyatta National Hospital,” the charge sheet stated.
A second count stated that the accused conspired to steal the body knowing that a bill of Sh86, 620 had not been paid to the hospital.
“You conspired to steal the body of Ezekiel Mungai Wanjiru from the Kenyatta National Hospital having knowledge that a bill amounting to Sh86,620 had not been paid,” the court heard.
Each of the accused denied the charges before Kibera Principal Magistrate Joyce Boke and asked to be released on bail pending hearing and determination of the case.
“The accused are Kenyans and have families that depend on them. They are not a flight risk and are asking the court to release them on linient bail terms,” a lawyer told the court.
Mrs Boke released each of the accused on Sh100,000 bond with a surety of a similar amount.
She also granted them an alternative cash bail of Sh30,000. The case will be heard on September 2.