The viral scandal that gripped Kenya in January has claimed a new casualty. James Opande, the US-based medic who recorded and leaked a video of Marion Naipei without her consent, has reportedly lost his job in America, according to an update shared by Buzzroom Kenya on Wednesday.
Opande, who was working as a medic in the US, ignited national outrage after leaking footage of Naipei, a 23-year-old single mother, while she was heavily intoxicated at a Nairobi club.
The government swiftly condemned the act, with Gender CS Hanna Wendot Cheptumo describing the recording and distribution of images showing a woman in a vulnerable condition as unacceptable and harmful.
Opande was taken into custody at JKIA after the footage spread rapidly across social media platforms. He later appeared in a video from the US alongside his wife, showing little remorse and daring county official Geoffrey Mosiria to escalate the matter to President Ruto.
The fallout for Naipei was severe. Her family disowned her, landlords forced her out, and the emotional pressure allegedly pushed her to attempt suicide.
Now, months on, the consequences appear to have caught up with Opande as well.
Does losing his job abroad serve as adequate accountability, or does justice in this case demand more?