Family in agony as hospital holds woman's body for four months
Health & Science
By
George Njunge
| Sep 22, 2025
A family in Ndeiya, Limuru, is appealing to the government and well-wishers for help to bury their mother, whose body has remained in the mortuary for over four months.
Relatives of Mary Wanjiru, 57, a single mother of two, have been longing for a proper burial, but the mounting hospital bills have left them unable to proceed.
They had set up a tent to mourn her, but after countless attempts to convince the hospital to release her body were ignored—and with only a small payment made by the Social Health Authority (SHA)—they were forced to dismantle it in despair.
Mary Kagia, a relative of the late Wanjiru, shared that she is now caring for one of Wanjiru’s daughters, who is still young and vulnerable, unable to live alone following her mother’s passing. She explained that the family’s hope of laying Mary to rest has dwindled, despite all their efforts.
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“Wanjiru was a single woman who owned very little aside from this humble mud-walled house. We sold everything she had to pay for her treatment, even sufurias (cooking pots) and chairs went at giveaway prices. Now, we have nothing left to sell. We’ve left our fate in the hands of fate itself,” Mary said.
She revealed that Wanjiru had been battling diabetes and asthma, which forced her to seek treatment across several hospitals.
“My aunt’s health worsened over time. We first admitted her at Nazareth Hospital, where she stayed for a few weeks, before transferring her to Westlands Specialist Hospital. At Nazareth, the medical bill reached Sh278,000. We borrowed from a friend and from a local moneylender to cover the costs,” Mary added.
Mounting debt
But the relative noted that the spiralling interest the money‑lender charged had increased as they were unable to service the loan in time.
“At Westlands Specialist Hospital our aunt was admitted to the High Dependency Unit (HDU); the doctor assured us she would recover in a few days and then be moved to the general ward. That did not happen, and her four days in the HDU saw the bill rise to Sh700,000.
On the morning of June 23, the family was called to the hospital only to find her bed empty. Wanjiru had passed away.
A fundraising effort collected Sh370,000 – a tremendous effort in the village. But after paying Nazareth Hospital and the lender, the rest was not enough to settle the bill at Westlands or retrieve her body for burial.
Her daughter, Jane Wanjiku, told The Standard that each sunrise brings tears and each sunset another day of anguish. “We have done all we can, but hope is gone,” she laments.
Appeal for help
She appealed to the Kiambu County Government, her local MP, and compassionate citizens to help.
She says her mother’s illness plunged them from hardship into deeper poverty. “She used to do casual labour, earning just enough for us to survive. When she became very ill, I took on work to support her. Now she is gone, but we cannot even bury her,” she shared.
Jane adds that the community has tried to help through harambees and they are grateful. “I wish someone would hear our cry and lift this burden from our shoulders, it is too heavy.”