Intro:
Kalombotole, a man ordered to undergo ten days of medical observation at Mbagathi Hospital, is instead being treated like a detainee spending his nights handcuffed and under tight guard in the facility’s casualty and emergency wing, raising serious concerns about patient rights and medical ethics.
Highlights:
- Kalombotole was sent to Mbagathi for medical observation but is being restrained.
- He’s spending nights handcuffed in the emergency wing, not in a medical ward.
- Concerns rise over human rights violations and ethical breaches.
- Authorities remain silent on why the court’s directive hasn’t been followed.
Main Story:
Kalombotole, whose name recently surfaced in a controversial legal case, was ordered by a court to be held at Mbagathi Hospital for ten days of medical evaluation. But instead of receiving care in a medical ward, he has reportedly been confined in the hospital’s casualty and emergency wing—handcuffed, guarded, and isolated.
The court ruling was clear: Kalombotole was to be under medical observation, typically involving access to psychiatric or physical health assessment facilities. However, insiders at the hospital report that he has been restrained and watched over by uniformed officers, more in line with criminal custody than clinical care.
Human rights advocates and legal experts are expressing alarm over what they see as a blatant disregard for both judicial orders and medical ethics. “A patient is not a convict,” one activist noted, questioning why Kalombotole is being denied proper care in a facility meant to treat the ill.
So far, neither the hospital nor the responsible law enforcement agencies have explained the deviation from the court’s directive. The incident is reigniting debate about how mental health cases and court-mandated medical holds are handled in public hospitals.
As Kalombotole remains chained instead of checked, the bigger question echoes when will Kenya draw the line between care and custody?
