The Ministry of Health has initiated a nationwide crackdown on clinics providing plastic surgery without proper licensing or adherence to safety standards.
This follows the tragic death of Lucy Wambui, who suffered severe complications after a cosmetic procedure at Omnicare, operating under the name Body By Design. In response to this incident, the ministry has shut down the facility, which allegedly failed to meet critical medical protocols.
Public Health and Professional Standards Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni confirmed that the clinic did not comply with safety regulations. “We discovered that the facility operated under substandard medical conditions and failed to meet essential patient safety regulations, compromising the safety and well-being of every patient who visited,” Muthoni stated.
The clinic, however, denies any wrongdoing. Danstan Omari, the lawyer representing Body By Design, insists that it is a fully registered medical facility that has maintained all necessary medical licenses for nearly a decade.
“It is a registered medical facility, level 3, with all the requisite medical licenses and practicing doctors’ certificates. It has been in operation for almost 10 years,” Omari informed the press.
According to Body By Design, Wambui was scheduled for discharge on October 17 but remained until October 22 due to complaints of chest pains. On that day, she left the facility and sought treatment at Nairobi Hospital, where she passed away on October 26 while undergoing another procedure.
“The autopsy was conducted with both government and family pathologists, but they did not agree on the exact cause. Perforations were found, which could be caused by many factors,” Omari explained.
Wambui’s family maintains that she was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit at Nairobi Hospital due to complications from the surgery at Body By Design, which they allege was botched.
In response, the Ministry of Health has warned unlicensed or non-compliant beauty clinics, stating, “We want to give a warning to facilities operating under substandard conditions—they should close before we force them to close,” Principal Secretary Muthoni emphasized.
