By Gabriel Melonyie
In an odds-defying exposé on Sunday, December 14, 2025, NTV exposed systemic fraud, medical negligence, and fatal cover-ups at Sisto Mazzoldi, a faith-based hospital in Rongai, Nakuru.:
In #WardsofEvil: Faith meets fraud, NTV delivered an impactful piece that led to the launch of an audit by the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC) on Sisto Mazzoldi Hospital and a secondary response from the hospital after initially refusing to comment despite persistent outreach by NTV’s senior investigative journalist Ngina Kirori.
The 1-hour, 7-minute, and 54-second investigative piece presented evidence of ghost surgeries linked to insurance fraud, manipulated deaths through falsified records, staged referrals, criminal negligence, tax evasion, and the intimidation of whistleblowers. Drawing on a wide range of sources and resources, the exposé mapped, contextualised, and visualised the complex web of misconduct uncovered. These included two whistleblowers, an undercover patient, unnamed sources including a former hospital employee referred to as ‘Justus,’ medical records, video footage ranging from unauthorised covert recordings, social media posts, screenshots of correspondence with government entities, colleague conversations, recorded phone calls, captured verbal exchanges, and testimonies from witnesses, family members, to interviews with government officials, and victims.
The investigation advanced its narrative through the stories of two mothers, Agnes Chelangat and Jackline Chebet Ng’etich, whose lives were tragically intertwined by death and cruelty arising from alleged malpractice by Sisto Mazzoldi staff and management, acting in collusion with some Nakuru sub-county officials.
Following the exposé, on Tuesday, December 16, the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC) initiated an audit of Sisto Mazzoldi Hospital. After the documentary was promoted, the hospital agreed to comment, denying allegations of fraud, malpractice, and negligence surrounding the deaths of the two mothers. However, staff accounts of the incidents remained inconsistent, particularly on issues of licensing and patient management. During the subsequent visit, hospital staff threatened and verbally abused the NTV crew: an encounter the team recorded, raising serious concerns about the safety of journalists and sources reporting on high-stakes investigations.
NTV’s handling of the exposé was both commendable and exemplary, placing public interest at the forefront by drawing attention to neglect and professional malpractice within healthcare facilities. It also expanded public understanding of the scale of insurance fraud in the healthcare sector and the increasing dominance of profit-driven mindsets over the preservation of human life. The report demonstrated rigorous journalistic practice through careful cross-referencing and mapping of information across multiple sources and materials.
It prioritised accuracy and balance by offering a right of reply to individuals and institutions mentioned unfavourably, while transparently documenting efforts to seek comment in cases where responses were not forthcoming. The report also sought to minimise harm by handling the stories of the deceased with sensitivity, obtaining consent from family members before using their images and videos, and issuing a thoughtful viewer advisory at the beginning of the programme to warn audiences who might find some of the content distressing.
The station’s coverage complied with several provisions of the Code of Conduct for Media Practice, 2025, including Clause 3(i) on fostering public trust through responsible and credible reporting; Clause 5(b), (c), (g) and (h) on fairness, right of reply, dignity, and sensitivity in reporting tragedy; Clause 7(b) and (c) on justified use of subterfuge and consent in the public interest; Clause 10(c) on responding to public concerns and correcting errors; Clause 15(2) on issuing warnings for potentially distressing content; Clause 16(1)(a), (d) and (f) on privacy, consent, and protection of personal data; Clause 16(2)(a)–(c) on identification and protection of sources; and Clause 28(a) on clearly distinguishing editorial content from user-generated material.
While the piece demonstrated the value of user-generated social media content in humanising subjects and conveying aspects of their persona, it also underscored the critical role of whistleblowers in providing credible information and source networks. However, the prominence of fallout-driven sources, particularly former employees, revealed the need to broaden whistleblower engagement to include individuals with varied relationships to the entity/individual under scrutiny, including those without adversarial histories. Such diversification would enhance public understanding and strengthen accountability. The coverage further highlighted the importance of establishing trusted, secure channels for information sharing that guarantee the safety, livelihoods, and confidentiality of whistleblowers.
Gabriel Melonyie is an analyst at the Media Council of Kenya
