Kirinyaga Footballer Dies After Watchman Allegedly Denies Him Entry to Dispensary: "Had Collapsed"
- A family in Mwea-East sub-county was plunged into mourning following the tragic death of their kin
- Clement Kioni is said to have collapsed while playing football at a local primary school ground
- Efforts by colleagues to seek medical attention at the nearby Kutus Dispensary were hindered by a watchman who allegedly refused to open the gate
- Locals have now called for action against the management of the dispensary and the watchman, even as tension remains high in the area
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Kirinyaga: An injured footballer from Kutus in Mwea-East sub-county has tragically died after a watchman at a local dispensary allegedly refused to open the gate for emergency treatment.
Source: UGC
Clement Kioni, 25, was playing in a friendly football match at Kutus Primary School on the night of Tuesday, August 5, when he suddenly collapsed and sustained serious injuries.
Why did Kutus Dispensary's watchman decline to open the gate?
Friends and local youth rushed him to the Kutus Dispensary for urgent medical attention. However, the facility’s night watchman reportedly declined to open the gate, claiming the dispensary was closed.
With no time to waste, the group rushed him to a nearby private hospital, but Kioni was pronounced dead on arrival.
His sudden death sparked outrage among residents, who accused the dispensary of negligence that led to the young man’s death.
“The watchman refused to open the gate of a government facility that is meant to serve the people,” claimed Peter Murimi, one of the youths who witnessed the incident.
News of the death spread quickly, and by nightfall, tensions in Kutus escalated.
Officers from the nearby police station had to be called in to assist, and security was reinforced around the dispensary overnight to prevent further unrest.
“We closed our shops early because of the chaos. Police were all over, and people are upset the dispensary didn’t help Clement when he needed it most,” said Mary Wairimu, a local trader.
Kioni’s body was moved to Kibugi Funeral Home for a postmortem.
What are Kutus locals' demands following footballer's death?
Residents are now calling on the county government of Kirinyaga to take action by transferring all staff from the facility.
Source: UGC
Efforts by TUKO.co.ke to reach the Kirinyaga County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Health, George Karoki and the medic in charge at the dispensary, Beatrice Juma, to comment on the matter bore no fruit.
They did not respond to our calls or text messages.
Investigations into the incident have since commenced as the community mourns a life lost too soon.
How did Kakamega student die while playing football?
Previously, TUKO.co.ke reported about a sad incident where a Form Three student at Kakamega High School collapsed and died while playing football.
Kakamega Central Police Commander Vincent Cherutich said the student collapsed after hitting the ball with his head.
Fellow students attempted to give him first aid, but he was reportedly unresponsive and was pronounced dead upon arrival at Kakamega County General Hospital.
The police later identified the deceased as David Owuor.
Proofreading by Mercy Nyambura, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
Joshua Cheloti (Editorial assistant) Joshua Cheloti is a multi-skilled journalist with over 5 years of experience in the media industry. He holds a Diploma in Journalism and Mass Communication and is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Media and Communication at Mount Kenya University. At TUKO, he's an editorial assistant. Before TUKO, he worked at Nairobi Review as an editorial writer, at Hope Media (Hope TV and Hope FM) as a correspondent in Eldoret, Hivisasa.com digital content editor and online writer, at Biblia Husema Broadcasting (BHB), Eldoret as Radio Presenter. Email: Joshua.cheloti@tuko.co.ke
Valary Akoth Valary Akoth is currently serving as a Tuko Correspondent for Kiambu County. Valary has 2 years of working experience at Radio Mikai, where she served as a Radio Presenter and was responsible for hosting live radio shows, curating playlists. She also worked as a Reporter at Sky Radio from 2023 to 2024 where she covered local and regional news stories, conducted interviews, and provided on-the-ground reports. Valary covers Kiambu and Kirinyaga counties. You can reach her at valaryakoth96@gmail.com.
