The story of Dr. Clement Munyao Katiku, a former neurosurgeon at Kenyatta National Hospital, reads like a tragic twist of fate — a brilliant career destroyed by a simple phone exchange.
Munuao, a highly educated medic with multiple degrees from the University of Nairobi and further studies in Scotland, saw his life turn upside down in 2009. His daughter was about to join Moi Kabarak University and insisted on having a phone before leaving. Around that time, Munyao met a young man he had once helped secure work. The man needed KSh1,000 urgently, and in an act of kindness, Munyao gave him his phone in exchange for the money.
What followed would change everything. The phone was later traced to a robbery and murder case involving the brother of former Police Commissioner Mathew Iteere. Detectives from the DCI soon arrested Munyao after his daughter and her boyfriend were found with the device, linking him to the crime.
Despite insisting on his innocence and explaining how he had given away the phone, Munyao was charged alongside others, convicted, and handed a death sentence, later reduced to life imprisonment. His appeals failed, leaving him trapped behind bars for a crime he maintains he never committed.
Today, the once-celebrated neurosurgeon warns Kenyans to be cautious when dealing with law enforcement and avoid situations that could spiral into legal nightmares.
His ordeal remains a chilling reminder of how a simple second-hand phone can destroy a life.
