Human rights activist, Boniface Mwangi, has responded to a video that captured him causing a commotion at a hospital in Nairobi.
In a statement issued on Thursday, September 1, Mwangi admitted that he was the man recorded in the video but claimed that it was taken while he was in distress.
He alleged that on the said night, the hospital refused to administer emergency services to his wife, Hellen Njeri, after the two were involved in a road accident along Lang'ata Road on August 21.
"My wife and I were passengers in a friend's vehicle which was hit by a speeding vehicle that veered onto our lane, causing it to flip.
"A good samaritan took us to hospital - my wife was in pain and in and out of consciousness but the hospital wanted me to pay for her to get treatment," Mwangi explained.
The activist claimed that he neither had the money nor his wallet with him and that the hospital workers refused to proceed beyond checking her vitals and administering painkillers. He was thus perturbed.
Consequently, the management called security officers who took him into custody at the Akila Police Station while his wife received medical attention at the facility.
Mwangi, however, expressed regret over his actions and disclosed that he not only offered an apology to the health service providers but also paid for the damages that ensued after property was destroyed in the fracas.
"I ended up raising my voice, breaking some items and causing a scene. The actions I took were wrong and I apologized to the staff stationed at the reception. The hospital projected the destruction at Ksh106,000, which I paid," he noted.
The outspoken activist noted that his wife has since recuperated from the accident and was back on her feet. Nonetheless, he questioned the character of Kenyans who respond to accident scenes.
"My family are grateful that my wife and I did not suffer serious injuries. But why do most Kenyans who are first to arrive at accident scenes rob victims instead of helping them?
"Why do hospitals require a deposit to administer emergency treatment? Do we value profit more than human life?" He wondered.
