A Ugandan national who posed as a doctor in Kibera, Nairobi, and treated a woman who later died from another ailment was sentenced on Tuesday to five years in jail.
Justine Kidega was convicted by senior principal magistrate Sharon Maroro.
He pleaded guilty and sought a lenient sentence.
“Yes, it is true I committed the offence. The prosecution facts are true, I treated the woman,” he told the court
Kidega said he was in Kenya legally but lost his passport and reported the loss to police.
According to the charge sheet, he committed the offence on June 23 at National Housing Corporation houses in Lang’ata subcounty where he pretended to be a doctor. He treated Veronica Anyango Orwa who later died of another ailment.
Prosecutor Geoffrey Obiri told court the accused presented himself to the woman who had attended a clinic checkup at Lindi in Kibera. He identified himself as a doctor.
Obiri said the accused requested the woman visit his house for further treatment at a fee and she did so on various occasions.
“Police officers got some tips on what the accused person was doing and they arrested him,” he told the court.
"He told the police he was a doctor who had graduated from Makerere University but he failed to show them any tangible documents to prove he was a qualified doctor and thus he was arrested,” the prosecutor said.
He said the woman has died of another ailment for which Kidega did not treat her.
“I want this court to note the woman later died from another ailment,” the prosecutor said.
“I convict you and sentence you to five years in jail. You have 14 days to appeal,” Maroro ruled.
(Edited by V. Graham)
