Government pathologist Scholastica Kimani testifying at the Meru Law Courts on September 3, 2019. [Olivia Murithi, Standard]
A witness recounted before a Meru court how former Government pathologist Moses Njue took the heart of a patient after a postmortem examination.
Scholastica Kimani, also a pathologist, testified before Meru Chief Magistrate Hannah Ndung’u that she gave the now missing heart to Dr Njue (pictured) after the first postmortem examination.
“Dr Njue told me verbally to pack the heart for him,” she testified in Benedict Karau’s missing organs' case.
Dr Kimani said she was approached by a relative of the late Karau, who requested her to perform the postmortem examination. Although she could not recall the name of the relative, she testified that the kin informed her that they had a private pathologist but needed a Government doctor to fill out the forms.
The doctor testified that she knew Njue before performing the exercise, as he had taught at the university during her postgraduate studies, as well as the fact that he was a chief pathologist at the time.
According to the witness, Karau’s four sons present during the procedure gave a briefing about the circumstances surrounding the death. They said their father died shortly after having a meal. The four then identified the body before being let out of the room.
Kimani testified that Njue, her and four or five students from Njue’s college were in the room during the initial postmortem examination.
“I arrived before Njue that morning. He called and said he was running late because he had gone to collect the students from the college,” she testified.
Having found a blood clot in the left coronary artery, she gave her deduction.
“As a result of my examination, I formed the opinion that the cause of death was myocardial infarction – a heart attack,” she said.
Kimani further testified that they took the stomach and its contents, one kidney, part of the liver, urine and blood as specimens for toxicology and entered a corroborative document as evidence.
She said the specimens were handed over to a police officer as per protocol, but she could not identify the officer.
The pathologist further testified that two organs – the heart and the remaining kidney – were also taken for histology, but it was not indicated anywhere.
“When Dr Johansen Oduor asked about the missing organs during the repeat autopsy, Dr Njue said he knew where they were and requested for time to present them,” she testified.
Kimani said the organs should not have been taken in the first place. She admitted that she suspected that her colleague, Njue, was taking them for teaching purposes.
She was at pains to explain why she had not informed the family or recorded that the organs had been taken by Njue for histology.
Eight more witnesses are expected to testify. Hearing continues on November 25 and December 10.
