Police officers based at the Matuu Police Station allegedly colluded with some killers and hurriedly organised for the burial of a man without conducting a post-mortem to establish the cause of death.
The body of Makau Mutinda alias Kamundi, a former employee of Thika Lodge was on May 5 found dumped behind the hotel in a pool of water.
Police officers from Matuu Police Station visited the scene and transferred the body to Matuu Level 4 Mortuary, saying it was a case of drowning.
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“Fresh investigations have been launched to establish why there was neglect and cover-up by the officers who authorized the body to be released without an autopsy,” Police headquarters said.
A keen Mortuary attendant, Peter Musee Muli, had revealed that the deceased had injuries on the head, lower abdomen and limbs.
The attendant also raised the red flag, saying the deceased could not have drowned as the stomach was not swollen.
The body was not even photographed at the scene and instead, on May 6, two officers from the same station went and photographed the body at the mortuary.
“Again, concerns raised by the mortician were ignored,” said a senior detective.
The deceased brother, Peter Kamende, presented an affidavit stating that they did not want a post-mortem conducted on their kin's body.
Kamende said police officers had convinced them that there was no foul play suspected, and also warned him against the autopsy, saying that “it was very expensive”.
“The body was released to the family on the strength of a mere affidavit sworn by the deceased brother namely Peter Kamende having been told by police officers that post-mortem required a lot of money,” a police report read.
As a result, on May 9, the body was released to the family and was buried the following day.
Detectives from the Yatta Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) then got the information and rushed to Kithimani Court and were granted exhumation orders through Miscellaneous Application number 11 of 2020.
The body was on Tuesday exhumed and a post-mortem conducted by the Chief Government Pathologist Dr. Johansen Oduor.
The autopsy was witnessed by family members, Yatta Police and DCI commanders, Scenes of Crime Personnel and Public Health officers.
The pathologist established that the cause of death was head injury. Apart from the head injuries, the pathologist also noted that the deceased had injuries on the lower limbs and abdomen.
Fresh investigations have been launched to establish the identity and the motive of the killers, and the reason for cover-up by the police officers.
At least 15 other killings have been reported across the country since Monday, according to some of the police reports.
On Monday Maritim Kibet stabbed another man to death when he found him making love to his estranged wife in Kapcherop, Elgeyo Marakwet. The woman, Lilian Kibet has been questioned by the detectives but the suspect is yet to be
In another incident on the same Monday, a Burundian Ntahomvukiye Remegie was also stabbed to death in Kayole. The foreigner was found lying dead in a pool of blood with deep cuts on the head.
Detectives are also investigating a case in which Somali herdsmen shot dead Musembi Mumu26 and Wambua Muasya 50 in Nguwaniwa, Mutitu, Kitui County as they were burning charcoal early this week.
