Wanyonyi holds a sign outside St. Teresa Kikuyu Hospital with words that cut deep into his grief: “I WANT JUSTICE FOR MY WIFE. THAT’S ALL THAT I WANT NOW.” His wife Philis died after a C-section that should have been routine but turned into a tragedy because the hospital did not have blood ready, despite promising they did.
After the surgery, she bled heavily and the facility had nothing to save her. In a desperate attempt to save her life, they rushed her to Kenyatta National Hospital, only for staff there to dismiss them as greedy for seeking help.
That night, Philis was gone, leaving behind a newborn daughter and a husband who now spends his days demanding answers.
St. Teresa Kikuyu Hospital is not new to controversy. In 2019, authorities shut it down after a string of suspicious maternal deaths, many of them during C-sections that went wrong.
Families came forward with heartbreaking stories, including the death of Hellen Wanjiru, who lost her life due to clear medical errors.
The Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Board at the time cited repeated negligence and ordered its closure. Even then, more families complained of loved ones dying in childbirth at the same facility.
Six years later, the hospital was allowed to reopen, but the same failures continue to haunt families.
Wanyonyi says the surgeon, Dr. Mwaura, admitted that he thought Philis would not bleed much, so he didn’t see the need for backup blood. That reckless assumption cost her life.
Reports show this same doctor has faced negligence claims before and even had his license revoked at one point. Online, Kenyans share their painful experiences at St. Teresa.
One mother said she was left in pain after delivery with her calls for help ignored. Another said her friend nearly died from infection because no proper follow-up care was given. Videos show women narrating scary experiences, from delays to outright lies about resources.
A recent clip showed another mother who bled out under the same circumstances as Philis, with St. Teresa staff once again blamed for not having blood ready.
Wanyonyi has tried to get a postmortem done twice, but the hospital kept delaying it. Frustrated, he gathered friends for a protest at the hospital gates, demanding the truth.
His little daughter will grow up without ever knowing the warmth of her mother’s embrace, and all because a hospital failed at its most basic duty. Kenya already has one of the highest maternal death rates in the world, with over 350 deaths per 100,000 births.
Private hospitals like St. Teresa attract patients with promises of affordability, yet they cut corners on life-saving basics like blood banks and emergency preparedness.
Complaints pile up about poor equipment, no emergency protocols, and night shifts that leave women unattended.
On social media, Kenyans call the hospital a crime scene and demand its permanent closure. Wanyonyi shares photos of Philis smiling at a family picnic just weeks before her death, a reminder of the life stolen.
He vows not to rest until licenses are revoked and the doors of St. Teresa Kikuyu Hospital are locked for good.
The Ministry of Health has not yet responded, but pressure from citizens grows louder. At the heart of it all is a simple truth: Philis trusted the hospital with her life and her child’s birth.
That trust was broken, and the cost was irreversible. Wanyonyi’s fight for justice is not just for his wife it is for every family that deserves safe, dignified healthcare, free from the negligence that claimed her life.
Add Comment