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A 33-year-old man in Kitale, Trans-Nzoia county, has been arrested for allegedly posing as a laboratory technologist.

Moses Obara is accused of sneaking into several wards at the Kitale County Referral Hospital and taking blood samples from unsuspecting patients.

A nurse yesterday told People Daily that Obara has been sneaking into the outpatient and casualty wards and forcing patients to pay for blood samples.

“While doing routine supervisory work, I came across our security officer escorting a man found taking blood samples from a patient who had been admitted for high blood pressure.

The man was dressed in a white shirt and wore gloves. He was also armed with a syringe and a needle,” she said.

According to hospital’s Medical Superintendent Sammy Masibo, the suspect was arrested and upon interrogation, claimed he was a volunteer laboratory technologist although his details could not be found in the facility’s database.

The suspect did not have any documents to identify himself as a laboratory technologist.

Patients said Obara has been forcing them to pay for services including blood samples.

“Nobody is allowed to pay a doctor, a nurse or any other employee without being issued with payment vouchers,” Dr Masibo said. 

The suspect, in an interview with People Daily, however, maintained he had served as a volunteer at the hospital for a while now and  could not understand why he could be called a “quack.”

Subsequently, the police were informed and he was arrested. 

Police Commander Fredrick Ochieng said it was unfortunate that quacks could be left to take advantage of poor and vulnerable patients while posing as medics.

He said the suspect was arrested but released on a Sh5,000 cash bail. He will appear in court at a later date because currently, courts are only taking pleas of capital and sexual offences.  He said Obara will be charged with impersonating a health worker.