Dr Moses Njue tribulations did not start with the heart theft charges, he has also suffered fighting for justice
Former Chief Government Pathologist Dr Moses Njue is a man under siege with multiple body parts theft accusations levelled against him.
On Tuesday May 15 Dr Njue was charged with stealing a heart from a corpse in Nairobi in 2015 at the Lee Funeral Home.
Njue's troubles started years back following the mysterious death of Benedict Karau, a polygamous man.
When Karau died in 2015, his youngest wife Martha Gakuo, reportedly told the rest of the family members that her husband had choked on food.
Some of Karau’s family members highly doubted Martha’s claims and pushed for an autopsy.
Gakuo reportedly supported the family's decision to have an autopsy done but insisted on hiring her own private pathologist. That is where Moses Njue came in.
The post-mortem, according to reports filed at the Director of Public Prosecution’s office, was conducted by Njue and Sholastica Kimaniat at Consolata Mission Hospital in Meru County.
A report was later presented to the family indicating Karau died of a heart attack. However, the family made a fresh discovery. Karau's body had bruises and injuries on his hands and head. The body had also been embalmed. The family, nevertheless, resolved to bury the old man.
Dr Njue obtained an anticipatory bail and was therefore not arrested but now the DPP wants the matter revived.
On Tuesday May 15 Dr Njue was charged with stealing a heart from a corpse in Nairobi in 2015. A day later on May 16 he appeared before Nyeri court facing charges of operating a medical college without approval from a professional body.
While defending himself in the court, Dr Njue maintained that King’s Medical College was duly accredited and registered by the Ministry of High Education Science and Technology.
According to the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Board roll, Dr Njue was registered with it on October 19, 1989 his registration number being A3001 as a general pathologist. He graduated from the University of Nairobi in 1988 with a medical degree (MBChB) obtaining a master’s degree in the same field (M.Med) in 199.5
Njue, who has been charged alongside his son Lammuel Mureithi, said the institution was registered by the ministry on February 14, 2012, to offer laboratory technician courses.
He said courses offered at the college were later approved by the Kenya National Examination Council (Knec).
Njue said the training school was duly accredited and registered by the Government, and attempts to close it down were efforts in futility.
According to the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Board roll, Dr Njue was registered with it on October 19, 1989 his registration number being A3001 as a general pathologist.
He graduated from the University of Nairobi in 1988 with a medical degree (MBChB) obtaining a master’s degree (in the same field (M.Med) in 1995.
Through lawyer John Obuor, Njue said after registration and accreditation by the relevant bodies, he had no business seeking approval from Kenya Medical Laboratory Technicians and Technologists Board (KMLTTB).
Daniel Kangethe, an inspectorate officer, told Senior Principal Magistrate Philip Mutua it was KMLTTB that had the sole mandate under the law to oversee the training and practice of lab technicians. The case will resume on July 9.
Dr Njue was something of a hero in 2000 when he resisted from pressure from the state to cover up the bludgeoning to death of six prisoners to death by warders at Nyeri’s King’ong’o Prison.
The official version was that the six had fallen to their deaths after jumping from the high prison walls. As the Nyeri Provincial Pathologist, Dr Njue was firm that his findings indicated that the injuries on their bodies were consistent with being beaten with sharp and blunt objects but not falling.
Six prison wardens were convicted on murder due to Dr Njue’s diligence, all this he details in his book Dare To be Different.
In 1994 Dr Njue differed with the officialdom after the death of the driver of Kamlesh Pattin, the man who has been labelled the architect of the Goldenberg Scandal.
The prosecution’s case was that Friedrich Kahlews had been struggled but Dr Njue was of a different opinion. All the same, the court dismissed Dr Njue’s opinion and that of another pathologist as of little evidential value.
