A man who was admitted at Kenyatta National Hospital following a botched detal procedure in Kawangware has died.

The deceased, Amos Isoka, passed away in the early hours of Thursday, January 15, 2026.

His death comes days after a routine tooth extraction escalated into a life-threatening infection known as Ludwig’s Angina, a rapid, suffocating swelling of the neck and airway.

The ordeal began on New Year’s Day when Amos, seeking relief from a toothache, visited a facility known as Life Clinic in Kawangware.

There, an individual identifying himself as a dentist performed the extraction for Sh1,000.

Within 24 hours, Amos’s condition spiraled. His wife, Vivian Nekesa, described the agonizing days that followed.

“Amos was in so much pain he was lying on the floor. His tongue became heavy, and he could no longer speak. He could only make signs to show me how much he was hurting,” said Nekesa during an interview with a reporter.

When the family returned to the clinic for help, the practitioner reportedly dismissed the swelling as a “normal” part of the healing process.

By the time Amos reached legitimate medical professionals at KNH on January 9, the infection had already begun tracking downward toward his chest.

Agonizing fate

Despite undergoing two major surgeries at KNH to drain the infection and stabilize his vitals, Amos’s body eventually succumbed to the strain.

Doctors had recommended a further chest operation to clear accumulated pus, but his heartbeat faltered during the night.

“The doctor told me his heartbeat worsened and eventually stopped. They tried to assist him to breathe, but it did not work,” his wife recounted through tears.

Amos was his mother’s only child and a father to young children.

The Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC) has since confirmed that Life Clinic was an entirely illegal entity.

In a swift response on January 11, KMPDC CEO David Kariuki led a raid that shut down the facility along with three other unlicensed clinics in Kawangware linked to the same suspect.

Authorities are currently pursuing Lawrence King’atua, the individual alleged to have operated on Amos.

He reportedly went into hiding immediately after the case gained media attention

Health professionals have used this tragedy to call for stricter enforcement against “quacks” who operate in low-income neighborhoods, often using unsterilized tools and lacking basic medical knowledge.