The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) has issued an arrest order for the man seen in a video alongside Vanessa Ogema during an incident where she assaulted staff at Port Victoria Hospital in Busia County.
In the circulated video on January 3, Ms. Ogema and the unidentified man were observed harassing hospital staff.
The footage captured the woman causing chaos, throwing files on the floor, hitting a table, and verbally abusing the staff.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the ODPP directed the identification and arrest of the male accomplice for prosecution.
“The ODPP has directed that a second male suspect who was in the company of the accused person and was captured in the video be identified, apprehended and charged alongside the accused person already charged in court.”
Ms. Ogema voluntarily surrendered to the police in Busia on January 7, 2023. The following day, she was charged with assault, causing actual bodily harm, creating disturbance, malicious damage to property, and threat of injury to persons employed in the public service.
She pleaded not guilty to all charges and was released on a Ksh.200,000 bond with a surety of a similar amount.
The case is scheduled for mention on January 17.
The incident sparked public outcry and drew condemnation from the Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists Dentists Union (KMPDU), which called for legal action against Ms. Ogema.
Hospital staff, in protest, went on strike on January 5, leading families to transfer their patients to other facilities.
In response, the Busia County government issued a statement noting the destruction of hospital property, including an oxygen concentrator, during the incident.
