Written by Were Kelly
The Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC) has ordered the immediate closure of Chiromo Hospital Group’s Braeside branch in Nairobi following the gruesome death of Susan Njoki, a patient who was strangled while under care at the facility.
An autopsy conducted by six pathologists confirmed that Njoki died of manual strangulation, roughly four hours after her last meal on Tuesday — just a day after being admitted without her consent.
In a letter to the hospital’s management, KMPDC CEO Dr. David Kariuki cited emerging evidence suggesting the possible involvement of a hospital staff member in the homicide.
The council has since directed the hospital to:
Evacuate all patients within 24 hours, cease all clinical services at the Braeside branch, submit the postmortem report, patient files, and internal documentation and to detail preventive measures to avoid similar tragedies
“These directives are issued under CAP 253 and Legal Notice 171 to protect patient safety and restore public trust in the healthcare system,” Dr. Kariuki noted.
The chilling case has sparked national outrage. Njoki, who had a history of mental health challenges, had earlier posted on social media alleging her husband, Alloise Ngure, forcibly had her injected and admitted to a mental health facility against her will.
In a deeply personal and remorseful statement, Dr. Frank Njenga, founder of Chiromo Hospital Group and a renowned psychiatrist, acknowledged knowing Njoki personally and called her death a “moment of reckoning” for both the facility and the country’s mental healthcare system.
“Truth and transparency must prevail. This is a tragedy that demands accountability,”
Dr. Njenga said, adding that the hospital is fully cooperating with investigations and is conducting a comprehensive internal audit of its policies and protocols.
The matter is now under active investigation, as questions swirl around patient rights, mental health ethics, and safety within private health institutions.
