Court sets free man who tried to dodge child's KNH bill

Mr Benson Murage tried to smuggle his one-month-old baby from Kenyatta National Hospital using the bag pictured above. The desperate father was on February 19, 2019 spared jail after the court handed him a suspended sentence. PHOTO | RICHARD MUNGUTI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Mr Boniface Murage was trying to flee the hospital with his one-month old baby to avoid paying Sh56,000 hospital bill.
  • The 22-year-old was intercepted by security guards after he refused to have his bag inspected.
  • He was charged on Monday with attempting to defraud Kenyatta National Hospital.

A man who was arrested trying to smuggle his baby from Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) to avoid paying a Sh56,000 bill has been set free.

Mr Boniface Murage was on Monday charged with attempting to defraud KNH pleaded guilty but Nairobi Senior Resident Magistrate Muthoni Nzibe set him free today (Tuesday) after handing him a three-month suspended sentence.

The 22-year-old man will only see the inside of a prison cell should he commit a crime within those three months.

Security guards intercepted the man when he refused to allow them inspect a bag he was carrying on Saturday.

Mr Benson Murage was on Tuesday, February 19, 2019 been set free by Nairobi court after pleading guilty of trying to defraud KNH. PHOTO | RICHARD MUNGUTI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

Mr Murage was trying to smuggle his one-month old daughter in the bag to avoid paying the hefty hospital bill.

Despite getting his freedom back, police will be keeping a close eye on him for the next three months.

On Monday, Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko paid the bill and shopped for the man's wife.

The county press office also said the governor offered Mr Murage a job.