A former employee of Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) has been found guilty of stealing a variety of medical drugs from the hospital.
Magdaline Wambui Nganga, who previously worked at KNH, was caught red-handed by security officers as she was leaving the hospital premises on December 2, 2021, with stolen medicine valued at over Ksh 15,000.
According to court documents, Nganga had stolen a variety of common medications, including seven packets of Nepilet Nebivolon 5mg, two packets of Atacand Candesartan 8mg, two packets of AIRTAL 100mg, two packets of Sildenafil 25g, and one packet of Lamontrigine Lamictal 100mg.
These drugs, which are typically used to treat conditions such as high blood pressure, pain, and depression, were the property of Kenyatta National Hospital.
The case was heard at the Milimani Law Courts, where Nganga faced two counts of stealing by servant, contrary to section 281 of the penal code, and handling stolen property, contrary to section 322(1) as read with section 322(2) of the penal code.
The Prosecution’s argument
The prosecution, led by Nekira Kibera and Naomi Wanjiru, presented compelling evidence that proved Nganga’s guilt.
In her ruling, Milimani Chief Magistrate Hon. Susan Shitubi stated that the evidence clearly showed that Nganga had access to the medical supplies following her employment at KNH.
The court also heard testimony from security officers who had witnessed Nganga carrying the stolen drugs as she was leaving the hospital.
As such, Nganga will return to court on May 28th for sentencing.
Also Read: CS Kuria Reveals Plans to Expose 2,100 Fake Doctors, Raise Grade for Medicine Course
Past Cases of Medicine Theft at KNH
This case is not an isolated incident, as there have been several other instances of drug theft at Kenyatta National Hospital in recent years.
In 2022, six KNH employees were charged with conspiring to steal cancer drugs worth 4.6 million shillings.
The suspects, who worked at the KNH Prime Care Centre Pharmacy were accused of stealing medications such as Rituximab, Immunoglobulin, Herceptin, Bevacizumab, Tocilizumab, and Insulin Aspart Protamine.
Another notable case involved a 53-year-old KNH nurse named Joseph Onyango Joel Migundo, who was charged with stealing medicine worth 81,600 shillings from the hospital.
Migundo was accused of stealing 12 bottles of Human Albumin Solution between October 26, 2021, and December 9, 2021.
He was also charged with handling stolen property after being found in possession of four bottles of the same drug on December 9, 2021.
KNH CEO Implicated in a Graft Case
Furthermore, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) on May 22 announced that it had secured court orders to freeze funds linked to Dr. Evanson Njoroge Kamuri, the CEO of KNH.
The move comes amidst a corruption probe involving Ksh634.5 million at the medical institution.
EACC was granted permission to freeze Ksh28 million held in two Housing Finance (HF) accounts suspected to be unlawfully acquired by the KNH CEO.
Additionally, the anti-graft body filed an affidavit at the Milimani Law Courts seeking access to various account documents from January 1, 2019, onwards, including statements, cheques, deposit slips, and other relevant information.
Also Read: Kilifi Governor Threatens to Dump Bodies at KNH, Gives Ultimatum
The investigation focuses on abuse of office, conflict of interest, and procurement irregularities related to tenders awarded for a medical oxygen generating plant and an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) System at KNH.
The court ruled to freeze Ksh10 million and Ksh18 million in two Housing Finance accounts for 21 days to facilitate ongoing investigations.
Follow our WhatsApp Channel for real-time news updates.
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaB3k54HltYFiQ1f2i2C
