This archive report was first published on 20 July 2020.
Papa Shirandula's Widow Blames Hospital Negligence for Husband's Death ¶
As Kenyans bid farewell to Papa Shirandula, a beloved figure in local comedy, his wife Ebbie Andega struggled to come to terms with the loss of her husband. In a heart-wrenching account, she accused doctors at Karen Hospital of negligence, claiming they failed to properly treat her husband's symptoms, leading to his death.
On July 18, 2020, Papa Shirandula, whose real name was Charles Bukeko, passed away after being rushed to Karen Hospital by his wife. The hospital had only tested him for COVID-19, despite Ebbie's request for additional tests for pneumonia and malaria.
"COVID-19 is manageable," Ebbie said. "Papa was supposed to undergo three tests: coronavirus, pneumonia, and malaria. When I asked the doctors whether they did all three, they said no. I asked them why they only focused on COVID-19 while he could also be suffering from something else."
According to Ebbie, the doctors ignored her requests for life support and failed to admit her husband to the hospital. Instead, he died in the parking lot of the hospital, surrounded by his grieving wife.
"He died in the seat of the car while sitting next to me. They did not even admit him. We went to Karen Hospital and the admission process was complicated. I asked them to put him on support because it was an emergency but it was not done," Ebbie lamented.
With grief written all over her face, Ebbie added that the cold weather was not conducive for people's lungs, and her husband was probably suffering from another disease too.
On July 20, 2020, Papa Shirandula was buried in his ancestral home in Busia, with mourners paying their last respects. His brother-in-law, Rowland Wanyama, said the actor fell ill after returning home from a trip to Kakamega county.
