The prosecution has closed its case against three Mbagathi Hospital staff members accused of conspiring to receive Sh30,000 to facilitate the irregular release of a body to the deceased’s family. The accused are Elizabeth Aoga, Jackline Njagi and Jackline Awino. They are alleged to have received the money from Ann Mbugua to facilitate the release of the body of her father, James Mbugua, which was later buried at Langata Cemetery.
Investigating officer Jessey Ogaro told the court that the three allegedly conspired to receive the money through Jared, a former mortician at Mbagathi Hospital. Jared is said to have received the cash from Ann before allegedly handing it over to the accused staff members.
However, during cross-examination, defence lawyer Velda questioned the lack of documentary proof showing that the Sh30,000 transaction actually took place. Nyambegi also questioned the investigating officer over the reliance on a certified call log as evidence of the alleged payment instead of direct evidence confirming that the money changed hands.
The court further heard that Mbagathi Hospital did not conduct an internal investigation before the matter was referred to the DCI.
Another issue raised during the trial was the disappearance of the deceased’s patient file from the hospital’s records office. An earlier witness told the court that the file had been picked up by an intern who could not later be traced by hospital management.
With the prosecution having closed its case, the defence is expected to file written submissions on October 22, 2026. The court will then determine whether the three accused persons have a case to answer.
