Court told Njue frustrated autopsy by taking heart, kidney

Dr Scholastica Kimani, a pathologist at Meru Level Five Hospital testifies in a Meru court on September 3, 2019 during the hearing of a case where former chief government pathologist Moses Njue is accused of stealing a heart and a kidney belonging to a dead man. PHOTO | CHARLES WANYORO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Dr Scholastica Kimani said Dr Njue declined to present the heart and kidney belonging to the late Benedict Karau.
  • Mzee Karau's family had demanded a second exam after disputing the first one carried out by Dr Njue and Dr Kimani.
  • Dr Njue did not write down that he was carrying way the organs and never informed the family members.

A doctor has narrated how former chief government pathologist Moses Njue frustrated a post-mortem examination ono the body of a former assistant chief after he withheld two crucial organs.

Dr Scholastica Kimani, a pathologist attached to the Meru Level Five Hospital, said Dr Njue declined to present the heart and kidney belonging to the late Benedict Karau which he had carried, thus frustrating the exercise.

Testifying in a case where Dr Njue is accused of stealing the organs, Dr Kimani said the former chief pathologist had carried the organs without the consent of the family to carry out histology.

SECOND AUTOPSY

However, he failed to return the organs when the family of Mzee Karau demanded a second post-mortem exam after disputing the first one carried out by Dr Njue and Dr Kimani.

The two had concluded that the 70-year old had died of heart attack soon after having a meal.

But the family noticed that Mzee Karue had injuries on the chest, hands and legs and thus sought a clarification.

But as Chief Government Pathologist Johansen Odour, Dr Sylvester Mainge, Dr Kimani and Dr Njue prepared to do the second post-mortem exam, they noticed that the heart and kidney were missing and thus they could not establish the cause of death.

NEVER INFORMED FAMILY

Dr Kimani told Meru Chief Magistrate Hannah Ndung’u that Dr Njue did not write down that he was carrying way the organs and never informed the family members.

The doctor said histology required only a tiny piece of the heart while the kidney was unnecessary since it did not have any anomalies.

“The exercise would have taken only two weeks but he had not returned the organs five months later. They were not indicated as having been carried. I thought Dr Njue would inform the family. Before the second post-mortem, I called him but he kept promising that he would return them,” said Dr Kimani.

She, however, said she stood by the first outcome that showed that Mzee Karue had died of a heart attack.

The family claims that the missing organs were meant to conceal the actual cause of death.

However, during cross examination by lawyer John Abwour, Dr Kimani said the injuries could not have caused death.

Hearing continues on November 25, 2019.