By Andrew Kariuki

Fresh details emerged at the Milimani Magistrates Court during the ongoing inquest into the death of Jeff Mwathi after a crime scene officer faced intense cross-examination over the condition of apartment 10M, blood stains at the scene, the apartment window grills and photographs produced before court.

The proceedings took place before Rose Ndombi on Monday, May 11, 2026, with lawyer Danstan Omari appearing for the family of the deceased.

Advocate Duncan Okatch appeared for DJ Fatxo and other interested parties in the matter.

Chief Inspector Mureithi, attached to Kasarani Police Station and involved in processing the crime scene, was extensively questioned on the state of the apartment, the position of the body, blood stains found at the scene and the photographs captured during investigations.

While under cross-examination, the officer told the court he arrived at the scene on February 22 at approximately 10 a.m. after receiving instructions from the OCS and investigating officers.

“I arrived at the scene on the 22nd of February at around 10 a.m,” he testified.

He stated that officers from Kasarani Police Station and DCI personnel had already secured the scene before his arrival.

“The first responders were mostly officers from Kasarani Police Station and DCI officers,” he said.

The officer also described the condition of a phone allegedly recovered at the scene, telling court it was severely damaged.

“The phone, as the photographs are showing, it was shattered, it was not intact,” he testified.

The witness further confirmed observing blood stains on upper wall sections near the rooftop area.

“I mean the walls above the roof,” he stated when asked where the blood stains were located.

However, he admitted he never measured the exact distance from the ground.

“Unfortunately, my lady, I did not measure the distance. It is approximately around 11 feet from the ground,” he told court.

The witness defended his decision to photograph both the rooftop and ground floor areas, stating it formed part of standard crime scene procedure.

“It was part of my procedure to document the entire general view of the primary scene,” he testified.

“So I documented both the ground floor and the roof area. As we process a crime scene, you have to document the entire place.”

The officer confirmed that investigators informed him they believed Jeff Mwathi exited through a specific window in apartment 10M.

“They believed that he gained access through that window. Therefore, I had to document it as part of my procedure,” he testified.

The court heard that the window was only partially open.

“The window was partially open, my lady,” the witness said.

He clarified that only one side of the window was open while the other side remained shut and further stated that the entire window was covered by metal grills.

A major issue during cross-examination revolved around the dimensions of the grills and whether a person could physically pass through them.

The officer admitted he never measured the spaces between the grills.

“I did not have the resources to measure the distance of the grills,” he told the court.

He further admitted that even when he returned to the scene on February 23, he still did not take measurements.

The witness described the grills as having “rectangular and square grills” but maintained he did not establish the exact spacing between them.

However, when informed that another investigating officer had allegedly measured the grills and found them to be “100 by 30,” the witness stated he believed a person with Jeff Mwathi’s body size could fit through the spacing.

“The deceased might have fallen from the 10th floor bearing that the two larger grills might have fit someone his size. However we can not determine circumstance in which preceded the fall,” he testified.

In separate testimony referenced before court, another witness allegedly stated that grills marked “C” and “K” were wider than the others.

When pressed on the exact route allegedly used by the deceased, the officer admitted he could not determine the precise opening allegedly used.

“Unfortunately my lady I can’t tell which gap he jumped through,” he testified.

He further stated that he did not observe any marks, torn clothing or signs of force on any of the five grill sections examined.

The court also heard details about the bedroom layout.

According to the officer, the room had only one bed together with beddings and a guitar placed next to a shoe rack.

However, he admitted he never photographed the guitar, explaining that it had no visible blood stains and was not damaged.

The officer further described the condition of the bed.

“The bed is not neat the bedsheets are not well arranged,” he testified.

He estimated that the bed was approximately two feet from the ground and around three to four feet from the window, though he admitted he never measured either distance.

The officer also told the court that the bed’s position made it possible to access the window.

The witness reiterated that Jeff Mwathi’s clothing appeared displaced when the body was found.

“As per the photos, the clothing is not intact,” he testified.

He stated that the trousers were found below the ankles.

During questioning by Danstan Omari, the officer maintained that it was still possible for someone to jump through the window while trousers were around the ankles despite restricted movement.

“One can jump with the head then push with the hands,” the witness stated.

The officer also confirmed before court that he personally lifted Jeff Mwathi’s shirt in order to photograph injuries on the deceased’s back.

He further admitted that while he either took or supervised the taking of the photographs produced before court, the images were not dated, creating uncertainty regarding the exact time they were captured.

The witness also described the apartment interior, stating that he documented multiple rooms and observed furniture, a television, shoes, a cooker and a bottle of water.

However, he testified that he did not observe any alcoholic drinks, glasses, dishes or plates within the sitting room or dining area.

When asked whether there were dishes present, he responded:

“None was found.”

At the conclusion of the testimony, 48 crime scene photographs together with the officer’s report and certificate were marked as exhibits before court.

The inquest into Jeff Mwathi’s death continues before the Milimani Magistrates Court.