Two sisters walk 25km to raise Ksh.2.2M after brother's body detained at K.U hospital
Two orphaned
sisters on Saturday walked 25 kilometres from Embu to Runyenjes in a bid to
raise Ksh.2.2 million required for the body of their brother to be released
from the Kenyatta University Teaching, Research and Referral Hospital (KUTRRH).
The sisters; Doris
Mumbi and Purity Murugi, were joined by a group of youths in the walk where
they appealed to members of the public and well-wishers to help them offset the
bill so that they can bury their kin.
Eric Mutugi, a
first-year student who was pursuing a medical course at the Thika Medical
Training College, died at the hospital on January 16, 2023 but his body has
since been detained with the facility demanding full payment of the bill.
According to Mumbi,
since the death of their brother, they have only managed to raise Ksh.225, 000
which the hospital accepted but demanded more.
She said they had
tried all avenues to raise the money but, since they're unemployed and have no
title deeds to offer as collateral, they resorted to a walk campaign to raise
the balance.
Mumbi added that,
through this initiative, they’re hoping to raise an additional Ksh.200,000 –
Ksh.300,000 with the hope that the hospital will then agree to release their brother’s body for burial.
Caroline Mbae, a
neighbour to the deceased, said the sisters are going through mental torture
now that their brother - who was their only remaining hope - died and they
haven’t gotten closure as they’re yet to bury him.
Ms. Mbae called
upon the county and national governments to intervene by introducing a kitty
that can be used in similar scenarios instead of making poor families go
through such pain.
Kenya Tea
Development Agency (KTDA) board member Enos Njeru said the diseased's parents
died 15 years ago and left him with his two sisters who are taken care of
by the community.
Mr. Njeru said that,
through donations from well-wishers, the money the sisters have raised so far
is still not enough to have the body released.
He further
appealed to the national government to step in and wave the hospital and
mortuary bills so as to save the two girls from further agony.
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