Body by Design directors freed on Sh500,000 bail each over fatal botched surgery
The three suspects are accused of operating an unlicensed clinic and causing death through negligence.
The owners of Body by Design clinic and a doctor linked to a botched plastic surgery that led to the death of Lucy Wambui have been released on Sh500,000 cash bail each or a Sh1 million bond with a surety of a similar amount.
The three suspects, Robert Maweu Mutula, a surgeon, George Wakaria Njoroge and Lilian Edna Wanjiru, are accused of operating an unlicensed clinic and causing death through negligence.
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On Tuesday, a Kibera court granted bail to the trio, who are facing manslaughter charges related to the incident.
While delivering the ruling, Senior Principal Magistrate Samson Temu directed the three to avoid any contact with witnesses and ordered that the business premises remain closed until further notice.
“The accused persons to refrain themselves from contacting any witnesses in the list, the business premises to remain as it is and the matter to be heard on priority bases,” Magistrate Temu said.
The court also ordered the prosecution to supply the defence with all witness statements and documentary evidence within 14 days.
Witness interference
In addressing earlier concerns about potential witness interference, Magistrate Temu said the claim was invalid as the clinic had already been shut down and had no active employees under the accused.
An application by the legal team representing Francis Nganga, the widower of the late Lucy Wambui, seeking to defer the bail ruling to April 16 to allow him to amend his victim impact statement, was rejected.
Nganga’s lawyers had requested that the court allow him to file an affidavit or speak directly to the court before the ruling was made.
“Mr. Francis Ng’ang’a, who is present in court, would like to give the accurate statements that he made for the court to consider even if it means having him address the court or even file an affidavit by close of business today for your consideration and have the ruling be delivered tomorrow,” the legal team submitted.
In his response, Magistrate Temu assured the court that the victim’s interests would be taken into account during the trial process.
The case will be mentioned on April 28 for further directions.
Wambui is said to have undergone a liposuction procedure at Omnicare Medical, trading as Body by Design, in mid-October 2024. She later developed complications after being discharged and was referred to Nairobi Hospital, where doctors found multiple perforations in her intestines.
She died on October 26, 2024, after undergoing emergency surgery.
A postmortem report confirmed that she died from extensive internal injuries resulting from the cosmetic procedure.
Investigations revealed that the clinic, located on Kabarsiran Avenue in Nairobi, was falsely marketed as a health facility while it was registered as a beauty spa.
It was later shut down by the Ministry of Health and the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC) for operating without a licence and for failing to meet medical standards and safety regulations.
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