NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 19 — A Nairobi court on Monday heard that a 47-year-old woman died from complications following a cosmetic surgery procedure for which she paid nearly Sh700,000.
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) presented the fourth witness in a manslaughter case against the operators of Body by Design, a cosmetic clinic in Nairobi, at Kibera High Court.
Francis Nganga Mundia, the husband of the deceased, told Principal Magistrate Christine Njagi that his wife, Lucy Wambui Kamau, died from severe complications after undergoing liposuction, a procedure to remove unwanted fat, as part of a Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) procedure at the facility.
According to the ODPP, a postmortem examination revealed that Kamau died from severe complications arising from the liposuction procedure.
The defendants, Dr. Robert Maweu Mutula and Body by Design directors George Wakaria Njoronge and Lilian Edna Wanjiru Mwariri, are accused of causing Kamau’s death on October 16, 2024, at Omnicare Medical Limited, trading as Body by Design, along Kabarsiran Avenue.
‘Forcefully discharged’
Court testimony showed that Kamau paid Sh693,000 for the surgery, intended to remove fat from her abdomen.
Mundia said that despite his wife’s deteriorating condition, “she [was] forcefully discharged from the facility before fully recovering and without having cleared the outstanding medical bill.”
He added that the clinic “abruptly closed immediately after her discharge, raising serious concerns about the conduct of the facility and its management.”
Mundia described finding his wife in visible distress, with severe abdominal pain and clothes soaked in blood and body fluids.
When he raised concerns with medical staff, they assured him “the symptoms were normal and would subside with healing.”
The ODPP said the woman’s condition deteriorated drastically with ten minutes of her arrival home following her discharging on October 22, 2024.
Attempts to rush her back to Body by Design were unsuccessful, as the facility had been closed, with only a watchman present. She was later taken to Nairobi Hospital, where she died on October 26, 2024.
The prosecution is being led by Assistant Directors of Public Prosecutions Maryann Mwangi and Duncan Ondimu.
Mundia reported the matter to Muthangari Police Station, prompting investigations. The case continues.