A light moment broke out in court during the impeachment-related case involving former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua when cardiologist Dr Daniel Gikonyo attempted to explain how patient identification is handled in medical records.
The exchange arose during cross-examination as the lawyer representing the state questioned the anonymity of medical documents submitted as evidence by Gachagua’s legal team in relation to the impeachment proceedings.
Counsel Muthomi Thiankolu pointed out that the affidavit before the court referred to the patient only using initials “R.G,” arguing that the document did not clearly identify the individual concerned.
The lawyer pressed the doctor on whether such documentation could reliably confirm the identity of the patient.
“In this country, we identify individuals using national identity cards or passport numbers. Does this document contain any such identification?” the lawyer asked.
Dr Gikonyo responded that medical documentation often uses initials for confidentiality purposes.
“Deliberately not,” he said, referring to the omission of full identification details.
Pressed further on whether the initials could refer to multiple individuals, the doctor responded humorously: “In my class they call me DK.”
The remark immediately triggered laughter across the courtroom.
The lawyer persisted, suggesting that “RG” could refer to any number of individuals, including hypothetical names.
“It could be Ruth Gitanga,” counsel suggested.
“It’s not,” Dr Gikonyo replied, prompting further laughter.
The exchange continued as counsel argued that the document failed to conclusively identify the patient.
“We have no way of ascertaining who the patient described is,” the lawyer said.
Dr Gikonyo maintained that the initials were deliberately used for confidentiality at the time the document was prepared.
However, he added that he could now clarify the identity if required.
“If you ask me, I can tell you it is RG — Rigathi Gachagua,” he said.
The statement again drew laughter from those in court, marking one of the lighter moments in an otherwise intense cross-examination session.
The court is evaluating the evidential weight of the affidavit and accompanying medical records as hearings in the impeachment-related petition proceed.
