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City rally driver Asad died from multiple organ failure – witness

Her counsel, Murgor, referred to three medical reports on Thursday as he sought to find out from the witness what truly caused Asad’s death.

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by SUSAN MUHINDI

News18 October 2024 - 05:30
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In Summary


  • Dr Hussein Moosajee from Avenue Hospital told trial judge Lilian Mutende the bleeding was from a cut wound on his right lower leg.
  • He explained it was possible the deceased contracted sepsis (blood infection) because the injury on his limb could not be classified as fatal.

Rally driver Maxine Wahome during the hearing of her murder case at Milimani law courts on Thursday /EZEKIEL AMING’A

Nairobi rally driver Asad Khan died from multiple organ failure caused by excessive bleeding, a court was told on Thursday.

Dr Hussein Moosajee from Avenue Hospital told trial judge Lilian Mutende the bleeding was from a cut wound on his right lower leg.

He explained it was possible the deceased contracted sepsis (blood infection) because the injury on his limb could not be classified as fatal.

“Asad lost a lot of blood. The injury to his leg wasn’t the automatic cause of his death,” he said.

He was first taken to The Nairobi Hospital but transferred to Avenue on the request of his relatives. He suffered a cardiac arrest while at The Nairobi Hospital.

“His heart stopped. He had to be resuscitated. His organs were in a bad taste,” Moosajee said.

Asked by Senior Counsel Philip Murgor whether it was wise to have the deceased transferred to another facility considering his condition, the witness said he wasn’t aware of his state at the time.

“I saw a critically ill patient when I was called to examine him after his arrival at Avenue.”

The patient remained unconscious while at Avenue where he died.

The doctor said they didn’t establish whether he had any other underlying conditions but they knew he was diabetic and hypertensive. Asad Khan died on December 18, 2022.

His girlfriend rally driver Maxine Wahome is charged with murder. She denied the charges.

Her counsel, Murgor, referred to three medical reports on Thursday as he sought to find out from the witness what truly caused Asad’s death.

“We have been presented with three postmortem reports. They are unanimous in one finding, that he died from septisimia, that is blood infection. Did you treat him for septisimia?” the counsel said.

“No, we didn’t treat him for septisimia,” the witness said.

But he said the rally driver had diabetes and high blood pressure, which suppressed his immunity making him vulnerable to sepsis.

Rally driver Maxine Wahome during the hearing of her murder case at Milimani law courts on Thursday /EZEKIEL AMING’A CARTOON

The witness confirmed there was a possibility Asad contracted sepsis at their facility, which causes organ failure.

One of the postmortem reports indicated the immediate cause of death was multi-drug resistant organisms, which are frequently acquired in hospitals.

Risk factors, according to the report, may include “multiple indwelling catheters and general lapses of infection prevention protocols”.

In September last year, a video clip was played in court showing an emotional Wahome narrating to his father and detectives how she had been assaulted by Asad before he died. Hearing resumes on Tuesday

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