Woman SMS Uhuru seeking help,Uhuru calls back and assists

An SMS appeal to the President bore fruit for the family of a woman whose body had been detained at a city mortuary over a Sh3.5 million bill.

After a series of unsuccessful harambees, Ms Anita Lipesa, the dead woman’s sister, sent a text message to President Kenyatta on Monday afternoon.

To her surprise, Mr Kenyatta called back 30 minutes later on his personal line.

“I was reluctant to send the SMS, but I couldn’t believe it when he called me … I confirmed from the voice that it was indeed the President,” Ms Lipesa, 22, said on Tuesday at Nation Centre.

Ms Lipesa said the Head of State asked her for her sister’s details and then told her: “Anita, go to the hospital and pick up the body of your sister. Everything is okay.”

Ms Caroline Lipesa Muhati’s body has been at Nairobi Women’s Hospital mortuary for close to two months.

“I decided to appeal directly to the President after all our efforts failed,” said Ms Lipesa.

Funeral committee chairman Oscar Esohe accused some politicians of failing to respond to their call for help.

Ms Lipesa’s sister died on September 19, 2014 at the hospital, where she had been admitted for six months over lung-related complications.

Ms Muhati, 40, was a member of the City Hall branch of Kenyan Premier League side AFC Leopards.

The body will be taken from the mortuary on Thursday for burial on Saturday at Bukhulunya in Kakamega County.

-nation.co.ke