Police seek bogus city medic, Mugo wa Wairimu linked to rape

NAIROBI: A man at the centre of an alleged rape scandal at a city clinic was being sought by police Monday, as public uproar intensified after shocking video footage that appeared to show the heinous act was aired by a local television station.

The Director of Public Prosecutions directed the Directorate of Criminal Investigations to speedily conclude investigations into allegations that John Mugo wa Wairimu abused female patients visiting his private clinic.

The Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Board (KMPDB) and the Nursing Council of Kenya disowned the man who runs Prestige Healthcare situated in Githurai 44 and Zimmerman estates in Nairobi, saying he is not a registered member of the professional bodies.

The Nairobi County Government also said the clinic was not licensed to operate and that it had been closed down by authorities in June.

Armed police officers have been guarding the premises since Sunday night, when the damning report was aired by Citizen Television, to keep away angry residents who have threatened to burn the clinic.

Mr Mugo, whose whereabouts were unknown by Monday evening, wrote on social media that he was innocent and that the allegations against him were fabricated.

Monday, the Director of Public Prosecutions directed police to investigate and forward to his office for action the file on the controversial medic.

"You are hereby directed by the DPP to have the said investigations completed speedily and expeditiously and the file submitted for perusal and directions," said acting Deputy DPP Nicholas Mutuku.

Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinnet said investigations into the saga had commenced.

Kasarani police boss Robinson Mboloi said following the media report and complaints from the public, they were looking for Mugo to question him.

Last evening, Mugo called The Standard and promised to call back for more information but hadn't done so by the time of going to press.

"I am somewhere tight. Can I call you using a different line?" he asked before hanging up.

He had earlier on updated his Facebook account saying he was safe.

"I'd not hesitate to present myself to the police if needed any minute, anytime. For now, just be assured I'm safe and as fit as fiddle. I perfectly understand the frustration of the thousands of my friends trying to reach me," said Mugo on his Facebook post.

Mr Mboloi also appealed to any woman who has sought services at Prestige Healthcare to visit the station and talk to the police.

"We need to move forward and take action on this man because what we saw was not good. It is criminal," said Mboloi.

Mboloi deployed eight armed police officers to the clinic following attempts by some locals to break in and burn it.

Officials from KMPDB and Nairobi County health department visited the clinic and announced to the big crowd that had gathered there that it had been closed.

The officials pinned a poster at the entrance of the clinic, saying operators of the health facility will face charges including operating without a licence.

The clinic is located on the ground and first floors of a three-storey building that also houses tenants.

The development came after Citizen TV aired the video clip which showed a man raping a motionless woman in what appeared to be a hospital environment.

In the TV footage, the man said to be Mugo, is seen sedating a woman lying on a hospital bed, before dropping his pants and sexually assaulting her.

The KMPDB Chief Executive Daniel Yumbya Monday asked for public support to deal with the case.

Dr Yumbia termed Mugo a quack, saying he is not a member of the union and had never trained as a doctor.

"We want this man to explain in a court of law how he is practising," he said.

Yumbya said the clinic had been closed in June for operating illegally but was reopened in unexplained circumstances.

He asked the Nairobi County government to help the union in taming Mugo, who he said had defied their orders not to operate.

Nairobi County Health Chief Officer Robert Ayitsi said the clinic is not licensed to operate. He said they raided it in June and closed it down and wondered how and when it was reopened.

The head of inspection at the board Were Onyin,o told the crowd outside the clinic that Mugo has never been trained. "For him to operate, he must be inspected and cleared by the county government. He is not trained to handle any medical issues," Dr Onyino said.

The Nursing Council of Kenya, which regulates nurses in the country, has also distanced itself from Mugo. In a statement, the Council's Registrar Edna Talam, said that their review of the database of nurses has revealed that Mugo is not a member of the nursing profession.