Boniface Mwangi Responds To Humiliating Viral Video At City Hospital

Human rights activist, Boniface Mwangi, has responded to an embarrassing video of him causing fracas at a hospital based in Nairobi.

The video seen by Viral Tea saw him cause a commotion at the hospital and saw Kenyans poking holes at his actions on social media as a result.

However, he stated on Thursday, September 1 that despite being the one in charge of the camera, he took it while he was in distress.

He noted that he was involved in a road accident on Sunday, August 21 along Lang'ata road with his wife, Hellen Njeri, and the two were robbed of their belongings following the crash.

An image of the vehicle in which Boniface Mwangi and his wife were passengers that was involved in an accident along Lang'ata Road on April 21, 2022. /BONIFACE MWANGI

Later on, they were rescued by good Samaritans who took them to the hospital.

"In the early morning hours of August 21, 2022, my wife and I were involved in a road accident along Langata Road. We were passengers in a friend’s car when another motorist veered into our lane while speeding and hit our car, which flipped. 

"We landed upside down and the first people on the scene robbed us of our personal effects. Luckily, a good Samaritan couple, Eddu Rono and his wife, Koskey Yuniscah, came to our rescue and took us to a hospital," he said. 

When the couple got there, Njeri was in pain, in a state of delirium, and was in and out of consciousness. The hospital had urged him to settle the medical bill in order for her to get treatment but he had neither the money nor his wallet.

He accused the hospital of flouting the constitutional right to emergency healthcare, which prompted him to disrupt the normal services of the health centre to get the attention of medical officials.

"Emergency health care is a right in the Constitution (Article 43(2)) and in my desperation to get the hospital management to attend to my wife beyond taking her vitals and giving her painkillers, I ended up raising my voice, breaking some things, and causing a scene.  

"My wife only got the medical attention she needed when my friend came to the hospital and paid the bill. My family and I are grateful that my wife did not suffer serious injuries," he added.

The hospital management however called the police who arrested and jailed him at the Akila Police Station. He was forced to settle the damages amounting to Ksh106,000 and apologise for his actions in trying to get Njeri attended to.

"I reached out to the people who were working at the reception at the time of the incident and apologized to them. Having fully recovered, my wife is back to work.  

"Special thanks to Eddu Rono and his wife, Koskey Yuniscah, who took us to the hospital. I really appreciate my two friends who came and paid the hospital bill in order for my wife to get the treatment she needed, and then proceeded to the police station and paid my cash bail," he added.

Mwangi also appreciated Inspector Fred Kariuki and Constable Mahat Ali, of Akila Police Station, for their understanding and consideration at the station.

He expressed his gratitude to Constable Bahati, of Langata Police Station, who was able to recover his phone after the accident and delivered it to him the following day.

"My concerns are; why do most Kenyans who end up being first on the scene of an accident rob instead of help? Why do hospitals require a deposit to administer emergency treatment? Does profit trump life?

"So many people have died and continue to die in hospital corridors because doctors will not touch them without a deposit. Do we value profit more than human life?" he posed.

Boniface Mwangi and his wife, Hellen Njeri. /BONIFACE MWANGI