A former mortuary attendant at Mbagathi Hospital is on the spot over claims of receiving Ksh40,000 bribe to release a body at the facility.
The culprit is alleged to have received the bribe from a woman who was attempting to collect the remains of a relative without following the hospital's required procedures.
The former attendant told the court that a woman approached him, informing him that her family had struggled to raise the funds to clear the medical bill, seeking help from him.
He said that he had initially directed her to the hospital's social workers for assistance, but when she failed to receive help, she returned to him.
The culprit admitted that he received Ksh40,000 but handed the money to another person in the mortuary.
"I received Ksh40,000 from the lady and gave it to the morgue [attendant] in charge. After a few minutes, the mortuary attendant called me, telling me the body was ready to be released and that the lady should go for it. I just received the money and gave it out," the culprit told the court.
He pleaded not guilty, and the case will proceed while the court determines how the body was released without authorisation.
Ksh30,000 for a Body
This came a few months after three other staff members from the same hospital were arraigned and charged in connection with releasing a body after receiving Ksh30,000.
The two mortuary attendants, along with the Health Records Department, were charged on February 14, 2025. The three faced several charges such as giving false information, conspiracy to commit felony and demanding money with menaces.
According to the prosecutor, the three on December 5 demanded Ksh30,000 from the daughter of the deceased in exchange for assisting in waiving an outstanding medical bill of Ksh61,000.
The culprit released the body from the mortuary unlawfully after obtaining burial permits under false pretences.
Appearing before Magistrate Benmark Ekhubi, the three pleaded not guilty to all the charges, prompting their release on Ksh100,000 each cash bail.
