A former mortuary attendant at Mbagathi Hospital in Nairobi has been charged in court after allegedly receiving a Ksh40,000 bribe to facilitate the unlawful release of a body. The attendant is accused of accepting the money from a woman who was trying to collect the remains of her relative without following the hospital’s required procedures.
In court, the suspect narrated that the woman had approached him claiming her family was struggling to raise funds to clear an outstanding medical bill. He said he had initially directed her to the hospital’s social workers for assistance, but when she failed to get help, she returned to him for guidance.
“I received Ksh40,000 from the lady and gave it to the morgue attendant in charge,” the accused told the court. “After a few minutes, the mortuary attendant called me, saying the body was ready to be released and that the lady should go for it.”
The court heard that the body was released without the necessary authorisation from hospital management. The accused, who has since been dismissed from his position, pleaded not guilty to the charges. The case will proceed as investigators seek to establish how the body was released unlawfully.
This incident follows a similar case earlier in the year involving three Mbagathi Hospital staff members who were arraigned and charged with demanding Ksh30,000 to release another body. The two mortuary attendants and an officer from the Health Records Department were accused of conspiracy to commit a felony and giving false information.
According to the prosecution, the trio demanded the bribe from the deceased’s daughter in exchange for waiving a medical bill of Ksh61,000. They were later released on a Ksh100,000 cash bail each after pleading not guilty.
The latest case highlights ongoing corruption concerns in public hospitals, where families of the deceased often face exploitation during their most vulnerable moments.
