Elderly pipo dey chop beating for Kenya PCEA Thogoto Care Home

Pipo wey dey live for one care home for di elderly near Nairobi, Kenya capital, no dey too see care and dem dey neglected, one BBC Africa Eye investigation don show.

Secret video show as staff members dey physically mistreat residents, dump food directly for tables without any plate, and leave medical condition without treatment.

"Hit her for bottom. Beat her," one member of staff dey ginger im colleague wey carry stick, for di Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA) Thogoto Care Home for di Aged, about 20km (12 miles) west of Nairobi.

Di undercover video show say moments before, three staff wey wear purple uniforms, surround one old woman by one metal gatewit sheets of one kain iron for perimeter of di home garden.

"Wia you dey go for dat side?" one of di staff bin ask. "Dem call you and you no gree come back."

Di old woman, wey wear one light gown and bobble hat, look confused and dey fear.

"Oh, please forgive me," she tok.

"Now we go need cane you," one of di staff tok.

Video show as one staff member dey hit di elderly woman bottom wit wooden stick.

Dis na just one example of evidence of mistreatment wey we uncover for BBC Africa Eye investigation.

Di care home bin dey set up by di Women Guild of di local PCEA church but na independent pipo dey manage am. Na home to around 50 elderly women and men.

Over di last 10 years, di number of homes for di elderly dey reported to don almost triple for Nairobi. Many no dey charge rent and dey supported by local churches or rely on donations.

For di next 30 years di elderly population for Africa dey projected to triple from 75 million to 235 million, according to di United States Census Bureau report from 2020.

Di growth go dey faster dan for any oda region of di world, wey dey try send elderly relatives to care home or reality as dia family number dey increase.

For 2020, di Kenyan broadcasting channel, Ebru Television, film inside Thogoto Care Home. Di manager, Jane Gaturu, bin present one image of safe haven, wia dem dey feed and care for residents wella.

BBC Africa Eye bin hear worrying reports dis no be di case. Two undercover reporters get jobs for di care home and spent 14 weeks secretly dey film inside di facility.

As well as di video of staff wey dey hit di elderly woman wit cane, dey record staff as dey admit say dem dey physically abuse oda residents.

"Sometimes you need to use force," one staff member tok, as dem siddon outside under canopy during one tea break.

"Even carers wey start polite, dey find themselves to dey aggressive towards clients," she tok.

Dey kontinu to describe one man wey "dey always chop cane".

"We beat am and dat na wetin dey calm am down. Sake of say e dey get angry, e fit even hit you wit rock," she tok.

Di reporters film further show examples of clear neglect and mistreatment, including medical conditions wey dem go leave untreated. One elderly man dey suffer wit serious skin problem.

"I dey feel pain. Too much, too much. I feel like I dey burn," pesin fit hear am as e dey tok for di video, e dey try show one undercover reporter im neck. E claim say care home staff no go take am to hospital to for treatment.

Di gravity of im skin condition dey difficult to determine for di secret video, but di undercover reporter tok say e bin dey bleed very badly.

"E give money to Jane [Gaturu, di care home manager] to take am go hospital," di tori pesin tok.

"Dem no take am to hospital. And wen e ask Jane, Jane vex wit am. And she even tell am: 'Your home dey just around di corner, and your pipo don give up on you. You think say I go dey able to help you'?''

"E use to tell me: 'We dey wait for death','' di reporter remember.

E take around six weeks bifo di man see doctor, wit moni wey im family provide.

For fotos wey di undercover reporter take, white flaky skin cover im whole body from di waist to di top of im neck. E no dey known di condition wey e be.

Ms Gaturu no ansa to comment on whether e give am money for medical treatment and den do nothing.

Goment guidelines say residential homes need provide medical care for di residents.

"I personally dey in pain wen I see dem suffer and I no fit help," di undercover reporter tok.

"I use to cry plenti. Most of di time I dey go to toilet. I go switch off my camera and cry."

One of di undercover reporters film one elderly woman wey use her hands to eat food wey dem leave directly for table without plate sake of say she no dey able to feed herself wit spoon.

One former care worker say she dey witness similar scenes, wey describe how staff tell her make she no assist residents wit dia foods.

"Dem tell me say make I no help dem today sake of say no-one go help dem tomorrow," she tok.

One undercover reporter secretly film one tok-tok between staff member about staff wey no dey feed vulnerable residents.

"You think say she go be di first to die of hunger here?" di member of staff tell her.

"Many don die of hunger here. Dey [carers] deny dem lunch, deny dem dinner, all bicos dey no wan make time to come feed dem."

Most of di food for di home dey donated, and for three occasions di undercover reporters see food wey dey loaded for one senior staff member car.

One undercover reporter also ask if she wan take residents' food from di facility, but she deny.

One former carer from di home allege say staff dem dey tiff food .

"Food dey dia but most of di food dey stolen. Dey overload di car wit food. Dey overload di car wit so much food so tey e dey bend," she tok.

BBC Africa Eye show some of di undercover recordings to Joseph Motari, di principal secretary for social protection and senior citizens affairs - di Kenyan goment member wey dey responsible for elderly care.

"Say make we find anybody wey dey abuse, harass, maim dis older pesins, I fit assure you di necessary punishment go dey inflicted on whoever do dat," e tok.

"We dey go to do spot-checks for various private homes and see whether dem meet di standards wey dem suppose get. We wan take action against any private-run old person homes wery mistreat dem," e add.

We put di allegations to Ms Gaturu.

"Di home na non-profit organisation wey dey run on top voluntary basis wey depend entirely on donations from well-wishers," she tok.

She add say e suppose get professional medical team and rely on odas to provide medical care, "but dat allegation no take care of residents wey need medical attention be lies and malice".

"Residents wey struggle to chop dey get priority assistance and anyone wey dem see say dey carry food away from di home suppose dey dismissed.

"Di home and di management no dey tolerate any form of brutality or aggression towards di aged. Staff be di victims of attacks by residents.

"The home always observes the rule of law and remains guided by the Christian principles on which it was founded," Ms Gaturu tok.