DPP Presses Charges On Body by Design Owner & 2 Others After Lucy Wambui's Death

The Director of Public Prosecutions, Renson Ingonga has approved manslaughter charges against officials at Ominicare Medical Limited, operating as "Body by Design" in Nairobi, including the owner, over the death of Lucy Wambui Kananu following a botched cosmetic surgery.

The DPP, in a statement by his office on Tuesday, April 1, revealed that the three suspects are set to be arraigned at the Kibera Law Courts in Nairobi on Wednesday, April 2, 2025, to take a plea in connection with the death of Wambui.

Those set to face the courts are Lilian Edna (the owner), Robert Maweu Mutula (the surgeon) and George Wakaria Njoroge.

"The suspects—Robert Maweu Mutula, a surgeon; George Wakaria Njoroge; Lilian Edna Wanjiru, the proprietor of Body by Design; and the Body by Design hospital—failed to appear in court today. They are expected to face manslaughter charges," stated the ODPP in part.

"The suspects were initially scheduled to take their plea today but missed the court appearance, prompting the court to reschedule the hearing for tomorrow."

Senior Principal Magistrate Temu ordered the suspects to appear in court by 9:00 AM on Wednesday. Should the staffers be found guilty, they could face up to life imprisonment.

"An unlawful omission is an omission amounting to culpable negligence to discharge a duty tending to the preservation of life or health, whether such omission is or is not accompanied by an intention to cause death or bodily harm. Any person who commits the felony of manslaughter is liable to imprisonment for life," reads the Penal Code in part.

Wambui died in October last year following the botched procedure. Before her death, she was the wife of businessman Francis Ng'ang'a. She was reported to have undergone surgery at the cosmetic clinic Body by Design, which her family and friends blamed for her death.

In the wake of her demise, former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko, accompanied by outraged residents, protested outside the offices of Body by Design Kenya in Nairobi, demanding answers following allegations of botched cosmetic surgeries. Sonko appealed to the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC) to conduct an investigation. He stated that his office had received numerous appeals from grieving mothers who alleged that cosmetic surgeries performed by the clinic had resulted in deaths.

However, the facility filed a court application challenging a closure notice issued by KMPDC for its Lavington facility. While distancing itself from the allegations, the clinic argued that it is fully registered and in compliance with regulatory requirements, well-equipped with state-of-the-art medical equipment, and has qualified surgeons.

Through Danstan Omari, the clinic narrated that Wambui underwent a successful procedure and was due to be discharged on October 17, 2024. However, she requested a voluntary extension of her stay, which the facility granted.

The deceased later complained of chest pains and was attended to by doctors and nurses at Omnicare and later discharged. She left the facility on October 22, 2024, after confirming that she was ready to be discharged on the recommendation of the facility’s doctor.

The management further stated that Wambui returned to the facility at 6 pm, but the clinic was already closed for the day, and assigned a doctor who followed her to Nairobi Hospital, where she died while undergoing a second procedure on October 26, 2024.