This archive report was first published on 24 September 2021.
On December 20, 2020, a police officer, later identified as Constable Rueben Kimutai, was involved in a hit-and-run accident in Nairobi, Kenya. He was admitted to the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) under a different name, Augustine Neto, and taken to the intensive care unit (ICU).
Kimutai remained in a coma for nearly nine months, during which time his family and the police service launched a search for him. A warrant of arrest was issued against him, and he was charged in absentia at the Makadara Law Courts.
However, unbeknownst to the police and Kimutai's family, he had begun regaining consciousness in August 2021. He informed hospital staff of his identity and his police affiliation, and a search was launched to locate his family.
A letter from the KNH to the National Police Service and the Makadara Law Courts revealed that Kimutai had regained some level of consciousness and was able to identify himself. The letter also stated that he had not fully recovered his memory and was referred to 'To whom it may concern' to facilitate his discharge from the hospital.
A doctor carrying out tests at the Kenyatta National Hospital. File
