Dr Gikonyo defends medical report supporting Gachagua in impeachment case

Karen Hospital's Dr Daniel Gikonyo and lawyer Faith Waigwa present in court for the hearing of the former deputy president's impeachment case at Milimani law courts, Nairobi on May 13, 2026/LEAH MUKANGAI

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s doctor has moved to dismiss claims of inconsistencies in medical documents presented before the High Court, insisting the disputed records reflect normal hospital administrative procedures rather than errors.

Appearing before a three-judge bench on Wednesday, cardiologist Dr Daniel Gikonyo defended the medical records linked to Gachagua’s October 2024 admission at Karen Hospital, saying differences in timelines were caused by separate clinical and administrative processes.

The doctor was responding to sharp questioning from state lawyers, who pointed to discrepancies between the reported time Gachagua arrived at hospital and the official admission timestamp contained in hospital records.

Dr Gikonyo told the court that Gachagua arrived at around 3pm on October 17, 2024, but formal admission was recorded later at 4:18pm after administrative procedures were completed.

“The time a patient arrives at hospital is not the same as admission time. Admission is entered after administrative processes such as documentation, insurance checks and billing,” he said.

He explained that hospitals only finalise admission records once financial and insurance details are verified.

“If there is no cover, you cannot be admitted immediately. The accounts department finalises the process,” he stated.

The cardiologist also addressed questions over differing discharge dates appearing in hospital documents, with some records indicating October 20, 2024, while another reflected November 20, 2024.

Dr Gikonyo maintained there was no contradiction, saying one date referred to clinical discharge while the other reflected financial closure of the hospital account.

“We call it an open bill. You are medically discharged, but until payment is completed, you are not financially discharged,” he said.

Lawyers representing the Senate argued that the conflicting timelines cast doubt on the reliability of the medical affidavit filed in court.

According to court records, the Senate noted that while Dr Gikonyo’s affidavit stated he attended to Gachagua on October 17, 2024, at 3pm and recommended admission for between 48 and 72 hours, a system-generated hospital report showed admission at 4:18pm and discharge on November 20, 2024, at 1:36pm.

The Senate argued that the records appeared to suggest a 31-day hospital stay, raising concerns over their accuracy and evidentiary value.

However, Dr Gikonyo rejected claims of inconsistencies, insisting hospital systems routinely generate multiple timestamps depending on the process involved.

He told the court that his affidavit accurately captured his clinical interaction with the former Deputy President and that any variations arose from routine hospital record-keeping procedures.

The Senate further argued that Gachagua’s legal team had earlier indicated that medical evidence would be presented during the impeachment proceedings but failed to provide it before the chamber at the time.

According to the Senate, this meant the impeachment panel had no verified medical basis upon which to suspend the proceedings.