Doctor in assembly clerk’s case summoned

By MUNENE KAMAU

A three-judge bench has summoned a medical doctor at a private clinic to testify about an illness that suddenly afflicted an Embu county assembly official cited for contempt of court.

Justices Hedwig Ong’undi, Cecilia Githua and Boaz Olao, sitting in Kirinyaga, ordered that the doctor appear before them to explain the sudden illness of Embu County Assembly clerk Jim Kauma yesterday morning.

Kauma and Embu Speaker Kariuki Mate were expected in court for sentencing but the clerk failed to appear and lawyer Charles Njenga informed the court that Kariuki’s co-accused had been taken ill.

Njenga told the judges that Kauma had suffered a bout of high blood pressure at about 10am yesterday while on his way to the court.

“He fell sick while on his way here and has since been admitted at the Kagio Nursing Home. I have requested for the medical documents to that effect be brought here within the next 15 minutes for this court to peruse and give further directions,” Njenga submitted.

The court temporarily adjourned to wait for the documents but after resumption, the judges said while giving the benefit of doubt to Kauma, they felt there was need to summon the doctor who attended to him after falling ill.

“Though we seem not to agree with this medical report submitted to us, we are hereby summoning his doctors to appear before us and shed more light on the report,” ordered Ong’udi.

The court ordered that the matter be mentioned on May 30 at 11am when Kauma will be expected to have recovered.