• Gakara’s brother Burton Njoroge, who is also the family spokesperson, said the medic died Wednesday at 9am.
• His widow, Winnie Odhiambo, is admitted to Nakuru Level 5 Hospital after she collapsed upon learning of her husband's death.
Image: THE STAR
Nakuru doctor James Gakara, suspected of killing his two children last Saturday, has died while receiving treatment at Nakuru Level 5 Hospital.
Gakara’s brother Burton Njoroge, who is also the family spokesperson, said the medic died Wednesday at 9am.
His widow, Winnie Odhiambo, is admitted to Nakuru Level 5 Hospital after she collapsed upon learning of her husband's death.
Gakara has been fighting for his life in the intensive care unit since Saturday under police watch after he allegedly tried to commit suicide.
“Doctors tried all they could to stabilise his sugar levels, which had gone significantly low, but he lost the battle this morning at 9am,” Njoroge said.
He denied claims that Gakara was not on good terms with his wife.
Njoroge said he had joined Gakara’s family for supper earlier in the week and he (Gakara) was jovial and showed no signs of stress. He did not talk about any family disagreements, Njoroge said.
“He loved his family so much. He had planned for Winnie to go for further studies at JKUAT University, so she can help him to run his clinics. That day, she went to register for the course,” Njoroge said.
Winnie is a clinician at a Nakuru hospital.
“Gakara through text messages, had communicated with Winnie asking her whether he could take the children out. She had replied and even suggested a good place to take them,” Njoroge said.
However, Winnie became suspicious when clients from the hospital started calling her on Saturday, asking the whereabouts of the doctor because he had switched off his phone.
She called one of the staff members at the hospital, who upon arrival found Gakara's car still parked, but no one was answering the doorbell. Winnie went to check whether all was ok.
When she peeped into the house, she saw the doctor's glasses on the table. This raised her suspicion that everything was not alright, as he could not see without glasses.
“With the help of the police, we were able to break into the house and we found the children dead. Gakara was lying unconscious. He was taken to the ICU,” Njoroge said.
Winnie’s sister also denied claims that she (Winnie) wanted to go abroad for further studies, saying she does not even have a passport and all they had planned was for her to go to JKUAT.
According to the police report, Gakara, an obstetrician-gynaecologist and proprietor of Optimum Current Hospital in Nakuru, was suspected of killing his two children, Dylan Gakara (five) and Karuana Gakara (three), before attempting suicide.
The bodies of the two children were found at their Milimani apartments in Nakuru. Police recovered assorted drugs, syringes and a sharp knife.
Nakuru police commander Beatrice Kiraguri said preliminary investigations indicated that the doctor might have injected himself and the children with a yet-to-be-established drug that led to their death.
Edited by A.N