NAIROBI, Kenya — Doctors at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) have told a Nairobi court that celebrated journalist and author Ken Walibora Waliaula was alive but unconscious when he was rushed to the facility and died despite sustained medical efforts to save his life.
Testifying before Milimani Principal Magistrate Paul Mutai during an inquest into Walibora’s death, Dr Stella Rono said the writer arrived at KNH in critical condition and was immediately taken to the emergency unit for urgent treatment.
Dr Rono told the court that Walibora was initially unidentified and was admitted through the emergency entry used for critically injured patients. He was later transferred to the resuscitation room and placed on oxygen to support his breathing.
“We did everything medically possible to save him, but unfortunately, he succumbed to his injuries,” Dr Rono testified.
She said the medical team took all necessary steps to stabilise the patient, but his condition deteriorated due to the severity of the injuries he had sustained.
Her testimony was corroborated by two nurses who were on duty when Walibora was admitted.
Penninah Ndoti Kathii, who was working in the casualty and emergency department, told the court that the injured man was brought in by ambulance. She said she immediately administered first-line treatment before he was moved to the resuscitation room.
“I gave him pain medication and anticonvulsant drugs, dressed his wounds to control bleeding, and ensured he was taken to the resuscitation area for further management,” Kathii said.
She detailed the injuries observed on the patient, including fractures to the leg and arm, a deep cut on the right hand between the thumb and index finger, injuries to the jaw, and missing teeth.
Kathii added that police officers who escorted the patient informed hospital staff that he had been picked up along Landhies Road near the Machakos Country Bus Station in Nairobi.
Another nurse, Antony Ngaruiya, testified that he was stationed at Resuscitation Room B when Walibora was brought in.
He explained that the resuscitation room functions as a mini intensive care unit, equipped to handle life-threatening cases and staffed by doctors and nurses who monitor patients continuously.
“The room is equipped for critical care, and medical officers are constantly monitoring patients to save their lives,” Ngaruiya told the court.
Despite the medical intervention, Ngaruiya said Walibora died the day after he was involved in the accident.
According to evidence presented at the inquest, the renowned author was allegedly knocked down by a speeding vehicle along Landhies Road near Muthurwa Market on April 10, 2020.
The vehicle suspected to have hit him is an Isuzu bus belonging to Double M Connections, registration number KBR 949S. The bus was impounded and detained at Kamukunji Police Station as investigations continued.
The inquest seeks to establish the circumstances surrounding Walibora’s death, including accountability for the accident and whether any criminal liability arises. Further hearings are expected as the court considers additional witness testimony and investigative findings.
