Standard Seven dropout ‘treated’ patients for 6 months

A Standard Seven drop-out who had been masquerading as a doctor at the Kisii Teaching and Referral Hospital has been arrested.

Peter Nyapeni, 26, was arrested on Wednesday evening. The police said he was a quack and had worked at the hospital for six months.

They said the suspect had been reporting for “night duty” and had access to the hospital’s main pharmacy. He would wear a lab coat and carry a stethoscope.

Joash Mageto, the hospital’s security officer, said they arrested the suspect in the emergency unit as he pretended to register patients.

“I had been tracking him for a week. We suspected he was masquerading as a medical student,” said Mageto.

Nyapeni said he had been working at the hospital since last November. He dropped out of school in Standard Seven in 2006.

“I have always dreamt of becoming a doctor but I am yet to get that opportunity. I came here last year looking for a job but failed to find one,” he said.

Serious cases

Nyapeni could not state whether he had handled any serious medical cases at the hospital. He said he was allowed into the hospital by one of the administrators.

“He asked me to pay him some money to facilitate my employment. I didn’t have the money but he allowed me to be a casual worker before he could get me a job. He paid me Sh500 once and has been giving me some pocket money occasionally,” he said.

The suspect said he had accessed medicine from the pharmacy and the main store on many occasions.

Staff at the hospital said the suspect had been seen in a number of wards but was yet to handle any major medical cases. They said he would occasionally join female students and help to dress wounds, especially in the children’s ward.

Photos found on his laptop showed a young man with several friends in the hospital, including medical students from the nearby Kenya Medical Training College.

In some of the photos taken last November and early this year, Nyapeni is seen with the students in the pharmaceutical store and at the main pharmacy. He took some of the photos in the hospital’s Ward Eight where children are admitted.

Enock Ondari, the hospital’s CEO, said the suspect had never handled a serious case.

“He has been coming here with a group of medical students and has been assigned duties by our senior staff. We are investigating how he got a student card. He has always been seen in white shirts and black trousers,” said Dr Ondari.

The police are also investigating how the suspect got access to Kenya Prison Service and Administration Police uniforms.

Police uniform 

In other photos on his laptop, Nyapeni is seen wearing full police uniform. He wore prisons uniform and took pictures with a civilian who detectives from Kisii Police Station are investigating.

Nyapeni said the officer was based at the Kisii prison and that they met a few months ago and became friends.

“We met while he was guarding sick prisoners and exchanged contacts. I visited his house and had the opportunity to take some pictures with him,” he said.

In March, the suspect took pictures in Masimba in full Administration Police uniform. He said the uniform belonged to a female police officer he claimed was his girlfriend at the time.

Kisii Central OCPD Francis Nguli said he would be charged with several offences.

“He is a quack doctor and we plan to arrest his accomplices.”

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