Ugandan health worker charged with being in Kenya illegally

A Ugandan national who was offering anesthesiology services in Mandera County's key hospital has been charged with being in Kenya illegally.

Mr Ephrem Grace Gengemoi Gum pleaded guilty to the charge and was sentenced to a one-month suspended jail term by Mandera Senior Resident Magistrate Mukabi Kimani.

The accused was charged with being in Kenya without a valid visa on October 10, 2020 at Mandera County Referral Hospital.

He was arrested by a group of Anti-Terrorism Police officers and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) officers who interrogated him before charging him.

Mr Gum had been issued with a visa on January 16, 2019 which expired after three months. The interrogation team established that the accused had been working at Mandera County Referral Hospital from early this year.

The team further said the accused was arrested following an intelligence report.
Neither the police nor the accused produced any documents proving that the accused worked at Mandera County Referral Hospital.

In his defence, Mr Gum claimed he came to Mandera to train local medics.

“I seek to stay in Kenya to help this area. The citizenry is in danger due to the Covid-19 pandemic,” the accused told the court.

In his ruling, Mandera Senior Resident Magistrate Kimani Mukabi said he had considered the mitigation by the accused.

“I have taken into account that the accused is a medic whose skills are beneficial to the society. I have also considered there is the Covid-19 pandemic which he has been assisting to mitigate through his services,” said Mr Kimani.

The magistrate sentenced the accused to a one month custodial suspended sentence.

“During that period, I direct that the accused be escorted to Nairobi by ATPU officers for the purpose of renewing his Kenyan visa,” ruled Mr Kimani.

The police were ordered to return his passport to him to help renew the visa.

The matter is set for mention on January 18, 2021.