Likoni attack victims settling bills despite waiver

By Benard Sanga and Stanley Mwahanga

Mombasa, Kenya: One of the victims of the March 17 Likoni church attack was Thursday discharged from Coast General Hospital with a bullet still lodged in his thigh.

Austin Malobo, 34, a casual labourer at Likoni, was released from hospital after it emerged that a specialist was required to remove the bullet.

The Standard has established that victims are settling their medical bills despite myriad pledges from several institutions including both the National and County governments.

Malobo was shot twice and he was admitted at the facility on Sunday with his wife Diana Manga, who is nursing four gunshot wounds.

Malobo is one of the six victims nursing severe injuries sustained when hooded gunmen attacked Joy of Jesus Church in Likoni on Sunday and are admitted or have been discharged because they cannot raise money for expensive medicine or specialised treatment.

Clinical services

Diana Manga has one bullet in her left hand, another on the right hand and two in her left leg.

 “I’ve been discharged and told to come back for clinical services. One of the bullets is still in my body,” said Malobo, adding that they were yet to receive any assistance to buy medicine.

Mombasa County Executive in charge of Health, Binti Omar, said though the county government announced a waiver on medical expenses “the victims were supposed to buy some other medicine not found at the facility”.

Another victim, Denis Odongo — who sustained two bullet wounds in the ribs just below his left hand and one at the shoulder — is still admitted at the hospital. Doctors said he is still not able to use his two hands despite the fact that a bullet that was stuck in one of his shoulders had been removed. Another victim, Jacqueline Ndoshi, was also discharged and was due to leave the institution by end of day Thursday.

“I run a vegetable grocery but I can’t walk so it will take months before I can start again. My worry is how I’ll take care of my two children,” said Ms Ndoshi.  Peter Adienga, a casual in Likoni, had two bullets dislodged from his left hand and left thigh.

The wife of deputy pastor Philip Ambetsa, who succumbed to gunshot injuries on Monday, was also recuperating at the institution Thursday.

 Meanwhile, families of those killed in the attack Thursday revealed that they had not received any help despite highly publicised pledges from well wishers. “We have not been contacted about any help. We only hear about help from the media,” Kennedy Ochieng’ (who lost his wife) told The Standard in a telephone interview.

Thursday, Mombasa County Director of Medical Services Khadija Shikelly reiterated the county had waived all the bills incurred by the victims including morgue charges for those who lost their loved ones.

Religious leaders are divided on the shoot-to-kill order issued by Mombasa County commissioner following Sunday’s attack.

Console victims

Muslim leaders and human rights activists, who had joined their Christians counterparts at the Coast General Hospital to console the victims, were united in condemning the directive while their Christians counterparts supported the move.

“Even the dead have their rights and those who orchestrated the attacks must be accountable,” said Bishop Abarijah Kanoga.