She was a celebrated children’s wellness advocate, a mental health champion, and the founder of Toto Touch. But when 48-year-old Susan Njoki Kamengere was forcibly admitted to Chiromo Group of Hospitals’ Braeside branch against her will, her story took a dark and irreversible turn. She was found dead in a hospital bed just hours later.
What followed was a chilling postmortem, a cascade of accusations, and a barrage of questions, questions that both the hospital and her husband, Alois Mureithi Ngure, are struggling to answer.
Prior to her death, Susan had openly voiced concerns about her deteriorating mental health and mounting marital tension. She expressed strong resistance to being hospitalised, posting troubling messages on social media alleging that her husband was coercing her into psychiatric treatment without her consent.
A postmortem conducted on July 22 at Montezuma Monalisa Funeral Home, led by a team of six pathologists representing the family, government, hospital, and other parties, concluded unanimously that Susan, a mother of three, died from manual strangulation.
“Susan died because of what we call manual strangulation,” said Dr Peter Maturi, the family’s appointed pathologist.
Foul play
Lead government pathologist, Dr J.N. Ndung’u, elaborated: “There were features of compression to the neck consistent with manual strangulation, and a lack of oxygen in the blood as a result of that compression. Manual strangulation is always homicidal; it cannot be self-inflicted.”
The autopsy findings confirmed the family’s initial fears of foul play, with the husband being a prime suspect.
The autopsy results sparked public outrage and renewed scrutiny of Chiromo Hospital, which now stands accused of attempting a cover-up. The facility allegedly barred Susan’s relatives from seeing her during her admission and failed to explain how a patient under their care was fatally attacked.
Her grieving family is now demanding accountability from both her husband and the hospital, alleging a conspiracy to silence her.
In a now-deleted Facebook post made on the night of her admission, Susan recounted how four strangers, two men and two women, stormed her bedroom and forcibly injected her.
“Now a group of nurses invaded my bedroom, and forced an injection on me, both gluts muscles, saying they were sent by my doctor. They ignored my questions as a patient, survivor of bipolar disorder,” she wrote.
She claimed the team was acting under the instructions of a psychiatrist, only identified as Dr Onyancha, and her husband, who had allegedly alerted the apartment’s day guard to expect a medical team.
In a chilling audio recording from her hospital bed, Susan described being detained against her will, stripped of her phone, and repeatedly medicated.
“They said I was not supposed to talk or have my phone. They forced me to lie down on a bed and injected me again, even after I told them I was allergic to some medication, they said they are professionals. If death looks like this, let them take me back home,” she said.
By the next day, she was dead. Her family is struggling to come to terms with the circumstances that led to her death.
Even more troubling is the fact that Susan’s close relatives were barred from seeing her while she was admitted. According to her youngest sister Priscila Wanjiru, she had spoken to Susan on the phone at 6:30am shortly before her death.
But when she went to visit her at the hospital later that morning, she was denied entry unless the husband gave permission.
“I went again in the afternoon with our aunt. Still, we were told we couldn’t see her unless the husband allowed. By the time we were let in, she was already dead,” said Priscila.
Family lawyer Ndegwa Njiru says the postmortem findings prompted the homicide investigation.
“Investigations have now commenced, and the results of the postmortem provide the foundation to pursue criminal proceedings against the culpable individuals,” Njiru said.
He said that while their focus is on the criminal angle, civil liability on the part of the hospital is also on the table.
The family is now demanding to know why the hospital allowed such restricted access to a patient whose life was clearly in danger.
“Who accessed her in that hospital? The biological siblings were locked out. So who was allowed in? Who gave the order to have her picked from her house? What was the motive?” said Njiru.
According to the lawyer, Susan’s husband and some hospital staff had initially been arrested but were later released on police bail.
“With this information going public, we don’t know if they are still within the jurisdiction of the Republic or have taken cover. We are urging the DCI (Directorate of Criminal Investigations) to act expeditiously and protect the integrity of the investigation,” Njiru said.
Susan’s older brother Ephantus Kamengeri, who raised Susan after their mother’s death in 1994, said they now feel vindicated, but are determined to pursue justice.
“I have been her half-father. We are grateful to the doctors for the truth. The instruction to take her to hospital was given by the husband, yet her regular hospital was Aga Khan. The doctor couldn’t even confirm when he last saw her. This was not our speculation,” he said.
Ephantus added that the family will explore further tests, including toxicology, and issued a firm directive to the funeral home, that nobody has a right to take that body before the family decides.
Depressed
Susan was a vocal mental health advocate. In May this year, she featured on a TV programme alongside Dr Frank Njenga, the founder of Chiromo Hospital Group.
In the audio, she is heard expressing disbelief that she would be taken to the same facility by force.
“I did a show, regarding overcoming mental illness. Dr Njenga was so proud of my progress as a patient. Now, this is the final destination, by force,” stated Susan.
“As much as I have depression or bipolar, that does not determine my fate. I was to go see two clients the day they forcefully taken me from my home. I was not sick. Why are you taking me back to where I came from?” she posed.
Susan questioned whether her social media expression of grief over her mother’s passing was enough to justify forced admission.
“If I cry, am I depressed? I have won over depression with support from my family, friends, and church. Why are they doing this to me?” she said.
The incident is now under investigation. Chiromo Hospital, when reached for comment, said it is cooperating fully with the investigations, and that they have submitted all necessary documents to the DCI.