The Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC) has shut down three illegal medical facilities in Nairobi’s Kawangware estate, including Life Clinic, following an alleged botched dental procedure that left a patient fighting for his life.
The crackdown was triggered by a Citizen TV exposé that detailed the ordeal of Amos Isoka, who developed severe complications after undergoing a tooth extraction at Life Clinic.
According to KMPDC, investigations established that the facility was operating illegally and had unlawfully engaged the services of an unregistered and unlicensed individual posing as a dental practitioner.
On Friday, KMPDC officials, accompanied by police officers, launched an enforcement operation in Kawangware and their first stop was Life Clinic, where they found the premises repainted and the suspected owner nowhere to be seen.
A closure notice was issued, citing illegal medical practice.
The operation then moved to Jamii Clinic, another facility allegedly owned by the same individual, Lawrence King’atwa. After forcing entry, officials found a patient inside who had been left unattended and in visible pain. The patient was rescued, and the clinic was immediately shut down.
“We have had a crackdown and we have closed down two of his facilities. One of them was repainted, the guy has run away… this is somewhere else where he operates from,” said KMPDC Board Member Tim Theuri.
Theuri revealed that Isoka developed a life-threatening condition known as Ludwig’s angina, a severe dental infection that can be fatal if not treated promptly. “After the tooth was removed, he got a swelling.
This condition can lead to death, which is why he was speaking with difficulty,” he said, adding that doctors at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) had taken him to theatre to drain the infection.
Isoka is currently receiving specialized treatment at KNH, with his family reporting gradual improvement. His wife, Vivian Wanjala, said the infection spread to his neck, throat, chest, and back.
Residents have since called on the government to intensify inspections of health facilities, arguing that ordinary citizens cannot easily tell licensed clinics from illegal ones.
As of Friday, three illegal facilities had been closed, with KMPDC warning that the crackdown will continue.
Authorities have launched a manhunt for the clinic owner and the quack practitioner involved, as the council urges the public to verify practitioners through its official register before seeking medical care.
