Kawangware man in botched tooth extraction dies, fake dentist still at large

A young man who was featured on Citizen TV after exposing a quack dentist in Kawangware has died following complications from a botched tooth extraction.

Amos Isoka passed away on Wednesday evening at Kenyatta National Hospital, where he had been receiving treatment after developing severe swelling of the neck, tongue and chest.

He died in the critical care unit after suffering breathing complications, 15 days after the procedure.

Outside Kenyatta National Hospital, Isoka’s family was grappling with grief after receiving news of his death, barely two weeks after the unlicensed procedure carried out by a fake dentist.

It has been a devastating ordeal for the family, who watched helplessly as Isoka’s condition deteriorated.

The clinic where the procedure was conducted was unlicensed and staffed by personnel without proper medical qualifications.

“That is where we were told that Amos had left us. I have no other child; everything was Amos. Amos has left behind children,” said his mother, Mary Nelima.

After being rescued from the Kawangware clinic, where the operator reportedly admitted he was not a qualified doctor, Isoka was rushed to Kenyatta National Hospital.

He had been admitted for a week and had already undergone two surgeries. Another operation had been scheduled for early Thursday before his condition worsened.

“I was told Amos needed a chest operation. The doctor later informed me that his heartbeat worsened during the night and eventually stopped. They tried to assist him to breathe, but it did not work, and Amos passed away at around 3 am,” said his wife, Vivian Nekesa.

Health sector stakeholders say the tragedy exposes deep systemic failures in regulation and enforcement.

“Who is to blame? This is a systemic failure. All of us carry this blame. We had a facility that was not supposed to be operating, and people working there without licences. The owners of those places have a responsibility to employ qualified personnel,” said Tim Theuri, director of private health practitioners in the country.

Preparations are now underway to transport Isoka’s body to his rural home in Kapkoi village, Kitale, Trans Nzoia County. However, the family says it is struggling financially to meet hospital and burial costs.

“I am told Amos has died and we are required to clear the hospital bill. You are left wondering whether to clear the bill or even view the body. We are asking the government to help us so Amos can be taken home,” said Nekesa.

Isoka’s brother, Levi Isoka, added, “We do not feel okay because the man responsible even spoke to us badly. What we want is justice. We have nothing, it is just the two of us trying to help our mother,” he said.

Several dentists who spoke on condition of anonymity said regulatory complacency in the health sector is widespread, warning that Isoka’s case is not isolated. They noted that doctors pay between Ksh.10,000 and Ksh.20,000 annually for professional standards enforcement, maintenance and public education, yet enforcement remains weak.

One dentist said unqualified practitioners openly advertise their services on platforms such as Instagram, TikTok and X, offering cheap procedures with little to no oversight.

Isoka’s journey now ends at the Kenyatta National Hospital mortuary, with the person who carried out the fatal procedure still at large, even as questions grow over regulatory failures and delayed arrests.