Justice James Wakiaga on Tuesday ordered that Joseph Irungu alias Jowie be admitted for surgery at Kenyatta National Hospital with immediate effect or be released to seek treatment at a facility of his choice.

The ruling was made after reports emerged indicating that Jowie was turned away from Kenyatta Hospital.

KNH Woes

It was reported tha inmates and remandees were being turned away by Kenyatta National Hospital due to a Ksh31 million debt by the Prisons Department.

The standoff between KNH and the Prisons Department was brought to the fore when Jowie, a chief suspect in the murder of Monica Kimani, ended up with painkillers for his gunshot wound instead of surgery.

Irungu, who is remanded at Industrial Area Remand Prison, was expected to be admitted to the referral hospital’s Ward 6A for an operation on Monday but he was turned away.

Zeinab Hussein, the Principal Secretary in the State Department for Correctional Services, recently froze the payment of Ksh6 billion pending bills until the entities that supplied goods and services justified their pay.

It is not clear whether KNH was a casualty of the freeze as the Ksh31 million debt owed by prisons authorities had accrued over the past one year.

Torture Allegations

Lawyer Sam Nyaberi said Irungu was due for admission for a surgical operation on his arm stemming from what detectives described a self-inflicted gunshot wound in an alleged suicide attempt before he was arrested.

Mr Nyaberi said Irungu’s parents had offered to pay the bill and deposited some money, but the hospital turned down the payment, saying the inmate had been brought in by the State.

Meanwhile, Jowie's defence team told the court that he is being tortured adding that they have been informed of his transfer to Kamiti Maximum Prison.