Ruth Matete allowed to bury husband

An outstanding medical bill of over Sh600,000 is now the only hurdle preventing gospel artist Ruth Matete from burying her husband Blessed John Olakami Apewajoye, whose body has been lying at the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) Mortuary since April.

Apewajoye died on April 11 while undergoing treatment at KNH for burns he sustained in a fire incident at their home in Athi River, Machakos County, on March 30.

Ms Matete’s lawyer, Mr Robert Odanga, on Monday confirmed to the Nation that as at Friday last week, the accrued bill was Sh677,000.

On June 8, the DCI formally requested to KNH to waive the body storage charges, but the hospital said it operates on a policy that prohibits waivers on the particular fee.

The request sought to ease Ms Matete’s burden because the prolonged retention of the body at the mortuary was occasioned by the Nigerian High Commission.

STORAGE CHARGES

The DCI stated that the commission was seeking time to consult Apewajoye’s kin in Nigeria before Ms Matete is allowed to bury him.

“We hereby request that you consider waiving the body storage charges since the retention of the body was as a result of a request by the Nigerian High Commission to have time to consult the deceased’s brothers in Nigeria,” read the letter that further indicated that the High Commission had finally granted consent for the release of the body to the family.

Ms Matete is, however, yet to know the fate on the investigation by the DCI’s homicide unit that has been seeking to unravel the circumstances in which the fire that led to Apewajoye’s death occurred. Is there a complainant?

“Has the case been closed? Is there a complainant? Are the homicide detectives still using the items they picked from her house such as her phones? Can she get them back?” posed the lawyer.

An autopsy procedure conducted on May 13 confirmed that the deceased’s body did not bear any visible marks of injury or signs of struggle.

Additionally, his brain did not bear any signs of hypoxic injuries; these are the injuries that result from strangulation, smoke inhalation, shock or poisoning from a drugs overdose.

“He died because of burns which were mixed degree burns estimated at 60 percent. In burns, what kills are the complications that arise. In this case there was sepsis, multiple organs failure and all that,” explained Chief government pathologist Dr Johansen Oduor, the lead pathologist in the exercise conducted at the KNH’s morgue.

Mr Odanga said the information on the status of the case is key in helping his client get her life back.

He added that the effect the case has had on his client’s career has caused her a huge financial burden on top of her mourning because she can no longer engage in her income generating activities.

LAUNCH ALBUM

“At the moment everything is at a standstill, she cannot launch her album, teach at her music school or preach at her church with the dark cloud hanging over her name. The public perception is stacked against her,” her lawyer Mr Odanga.

Earlier, Ms Matete had demanded that the embassy clears the mortuary and burial expenses before she can accept the body for burial.

Her reasons were that the embassy had not issued her with insufficient reasons to warrant the holding of the body since the autopsy results had been released and she had her in-laws consent to bury her husband in the country.

The gospel artist has maintained that her husband burnt parts of his upper body on the fateful day at around 5pm after a failed attempt to properly light up their 6kg unused gas cylinder.

Earlier, DCI head of investigations Mr John Kariuki had noted that if Ms Matete is found not have had a hand in her husband’s death, a public inquest shall be launched to have the matter officially concluded.