Raped during dialysis, MTK dies before trial but her fight for justice lives on
MTK was raped when she went for a lifesaving dialysis session.
What you need to know:
- Kenyan hospitals are on the spot after repeated sexual assault allegations; MTK's tragic story demands accountability.
Case sparks push for reform in health sector to stop rising sexual abuse.
On January 31, MTK went to Pandya Memorial Hospital for a lifesaving dialysis session. There, according to records from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, a 31-year-old clinical officer, Dias Juma Wabwile, “intentionally” raped her at around 5am.
He was later charged with rape and an alternative charge of committing an indecent act, both of which he denied. He was released on a bond of Sh500,000, with one surety of a similar amount. Tragically, MTK died on August 2 while receiving treatment at another hospital, according to her legal representatives, the Federation of Women Lawyers in Kenya (Fida-K).
“MTK was not only a survivor but a courageous champion, who, despite unimaginable suffering, took the bold step to seek justice, not just for herself, but for countless other vulnerable patients whose dignity and rights must be safeguarded,” said Christine Kungu, the chairperson of Fida-K.
She added that MTK’s strength, resilience, and unwavering hope inspired Fida-K's continued pursuit of accountability and institutional reform within the health sector. Even in her death, MTK’s voice will not be silenced, Ms Kungu said.
“Fida-K is committed to ensuring that justice is served in her case,” she said. “We will continue to pursue legal redress against all responsible parties, including the clinical officer, hospital management, and any complicit individuals, so that her death is not in vain.”
This is not the first reported case of sexual offence by a medic at the hospital. In November 2024, a radiographer was charged at the Ruiru Law Courts with raping a woman who had been referred for a pelvic scan after seeing a gynaecologist.
In 2019, a laboratory technician at the Nairobi Women’s Hospital in Mombasa was arrested for allegedly defiling a 13-year-old girl receiving malaria treatment. In 2021, police in Homa Bay arrested a medic suspected of raping a woman who had been admitted to a private hospital for treatment of chest pain.
Under Kenya’s Sexual Offences Act (2006), anyone found guilty of rape is liable to a minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, which may be enhanced to life imprisonment.
