The proprietors of a beauty clinic that caused the death of a woman in a botched operation in Lavington, Nairobi are set to face manslaughter charges.
Police said the proprietors run Body by Design Kenya running under Omnicare Medical.
They are Robert Maweu Mutula, George Wakaria Njoroge, Lilian Edna Wanjiru Mwariri and Omnicare Medical Limited alias Body by Design Kenya.
They were expected in court on April 1 to face the charges after the Office of Director of Public Prosecutions consented to the same.
Wambui died on October 26, 2024 after an operation at the facility.
They, however moved to the High Court and obtained an order to stop the prosecution. The prosecution said they will file a rejoinder to quash the orders.
After the operation, Wambui was initially scheduled for discharge on October 17, but she opted to stay a few additional days, a request the clinic granted.
On October 18, she reportedly began complaining of chest pains and was attended to by doctors and nurses.
She was discharged on October 22, after “she confirmed that she was ready to be discharged on the recommendations of the doctor.”
However, Wambui returned to the facility later that evening around 6 p.m., but the premises were closed.
Wambui’s relative reached out to a medical officer from the facility, who then accompanied her to Nairobi Hospital, where she underwent a second medical procedure the following day.
Tragically, she passed away on October 26 while under treatment.
Omnicare Medical claims they were notified by Wambui’s family through their lawyer on October 29, inviting them to attend the postmortem examination at Nairobi Hospital.
The Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC) ordered the immediate closure of Omnicare Medical due to serious health and safety violations under CAP 253 of the Medical Practitioners and Dentists Act.
This closure notice, issued on October 31, 2024 came in response to allegations of failed cosmetic procedures that allegedly led to fatalities, triggering public outcry.
Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) joined the probe the death.
A team of detectives visited the facility and inspected it before announcing they had formally summoned the staff there to record statements at the DCI headquarters as the probe into the death intensifies.
Detectives seized various materials, including CCTV footage, for further analysis.
They also requested the practitioners who performed the procedures on the deceased to record statements.
The facility has been the subject of public and official scrutiny following the death of 47-year-old Wambui just days after undergoing cosmetic surgery there.
Medical reports indicate that she passed away due to complications reportedly stemming from cosmetic procedures performed at the facility.
The owners of Body by Design, speaking through their legal representatives, maintain that the medical personnel who operated on the deceased conducted their work professionally and above board.
“There’s a medical criteria that once you have a perforated intestine..the maximum number of hours you will be alive is 12 hours. From when she left here, it took her another four days to pass on,” the firm’s lawyer, Danstan Omari, said.
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