By Andrew Kariuki
An emotional account unfolded at the Kibera High Court as a husband detailed how a cosmetic surgery that cost nearly Ksh700,000 ended in his wife’s death, as a manslaughter case against the operators of a Nairobi cosmetic clinic continued.
Francis Nganga Mundia testified as the fourth prosecution witness before Principal Magistrate Christine Njagi in a case involving Body by Design, a clinic operating along Kabarsiran Avenue in Nairobi.
Mundia told the court that his wife, Lucy Wambui Kamau, underwent liposuction and a Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) procedure at the facility but later succumbed to severe complications linked to the surgery.
He said a postmortem examination attributed her death to complications arising from the cosmetic procedure.
The accused in the case are Dr. Robert Maweu Mutula, Body by Design directors George Wakaria Njoronge and Lilian Edna Wanjiru Mwariri.
They are charged in connection with Ms. Wambui’s death, which occurred on October 16, 2024.
According to Mundia’s testimony, documentary evidence presented in court shows that his wife paid Ksh693,000 for the surgery.
He said her condition deteriorated shortly after the procedure, yet she was discharged from the clinic before fully stabilising.
He further told the court that attempts to return her to the clinic after her discharge were unsuccessful because the facility had closed, leaving the family with no option but to seek emergency care elsewhere.
Mundia recounted that his wife had discovered Body by Design through online advertisements aggressively promoting cosmetic procedures.
Despite his objections, she proceeded with the surgery.
He described visiting her a day after the operation and finding her in visible distress, complaining of intense abdominal pain and difficulty breathing.
He observed that her clothing around the abdomen was soaked, and that she appeared to be in severe pain.
According to his testimony, when he later noticed continued discharge of fluids accompanied by a strong odour, medical staff at the clinic assured him the symptoms were normal and part of the healing process.
On October 22, 2024, Ms. Wambui was discharged from the facility.
Mundia told the court that within minutes of arriving home, her condition worsened significantly.
Efforts to take her back to Body by Design failed, forcing the family to rush her to Nairobi Hospital.
He emotionally recalled receiving a phone call from his wife while she was hospitalised, during which she asked him to pray for her and expressed fear that she might die.
She passed away on October 26, 2024.
Following her death, Mundia reported the matter to the police, prompting investigations that led to the charges currently before the court.
