Governor Arati sacks morgue staff over sabotage

Kisii Governor Simba Arati, Tuesday, ordered the sacking of two senior Kisii Teaching and Referral Hospital morgue staff over alleged gross conduct, incompetence and sabotage.

The action comes two days after several bereaved families visiting to pick up their loved ones protested the bad state of the bodies.

The first-time governor said he believes foul play and sabotage were the motivating force for the morgue staff to play dirty games allegedly aimed at discrediting his administration.

He spoke of receiving further intelligence of more saboteur activities in the offing from medical staff at the Kisii Teaching and Referral Hospital.

"I have heard some people wanted to switch off the oxygen plant at night and kill over 50 babies in the nursery," Arati told journalists.

The sacked staff were ordered to publicly match out of the facility.

Arati accused the duo of deliberately switching off the coolers in an indecent scheme to paint his government bad.

"The worst part of it is bodies brought by the police are dumped by the same staff with no embalming done. This is the height of dirty schemes by a people not ready to work," the governor said.

The old mortuary would now be reopened to preserve unclaimed bodies and those brought in by the police. The governor promised to allocate Sh2 m for its refurbishment.

Arati also announced plans to have the chapel converted to a holding area for more bodies to address congestion at the main morgue.

He expressed shock that the sacked staff were piling up bodies against the recommended 78.