Kenyan comedian and activist Eric Omondi has launched an emotional fundraiser to support James Muiruri, a heartbroken grandfather from Gatundu, after a video of him holding the lifeless body of his grandson went viral.
The incident, which sparked public outrage, involved the reported inaction of medical staff at a local hospital. In the heartbreaking video, Muiruri is seen in a tense confrontation with a hospital security guard and medical providers as he faults them for not attending to the child.
Eric Omondi took to his Instagram page on Thursday, May 29, 2025, to rally support for the grieving family. He revealed that he had been searching for James since he saw the viral footage and finally managed to meet him on Thursday, May 29, 2025.
The philanthropist urged his followers to send whatever support they could to help ease the family’s suffering.
“Hey guys, this morning I visited James Muiruri, the man we saw in the video holding the lifeless body of his grandson. The family is in agony. We may not be able to bring back their son, but let’s try to lessen the pain and burden,” Omondi shared.
According to Eric Omondi, who has been trying to locate the family since the video surfaced, the child passed away after what appeared to be a delay in receiving urgent medical care.
“This is the saddest and most painful thing you can see… A father carrying the lifeless body of his son because of failed systems,” Eric wrote on his Instagram page on Wednesday, May 28, 2025.
Muiruri recalls incident
In the video posted on his Instagram, Omondi described how James broke down during their conversation, reliving the traumatic experience of losing his grandson. James told him that after the baby passed away, the hospital quickly arranged for a vehicle to transport the body to the mortuary, something that had not been possible while the child was still alive.
“The police came, and I told them to handcuff me and cuff the baby too, because I was asking, ‘How could they find a vehicle to take the baby to the mortuary, but when he was still alive, there was no car to help him?’” Muiruri recounted tearfully.
Eric also met with the baby’s mother, James’ daughter, who revealed that the little boy was named after his grandfather. The baby, also named James Muiruri, was only 11 months old.
“She named her son after her father, which is why the pain is so deep for him. This man is the head of the family, and they are all in agony. While we cannot bring the boy back, we can help ease the family’s suffering. Please send whatever support you can,” Omondi shared.
