Pathologists have said the cause of death of Julia Wangui, who died after being arrested during the Saba Saba protests in Nanyuki, remains inconclusive, although bleeding was detected in her brain.
Wangui, 30, was arrested on July 7 during nationwide demonstrations and allegedly sustained injuries while in police custody. She later collapsed at the Nanyuki GK Prison, where she was being held after failing to post cash bail, and died in hospital.
A postmortem conducted by a team of pathologists led by Dr. Peter Ndegwa, representing the Independent Medico-Legal Unit (IMLU), revealed bleeding in the brain but no visible signs of physical trauma. “We are finding some things in the lungs, brain, pancreas and the liver, all of which can be contributory,” Dr. Ndegwa said. “There’s bleeding in the brain, which doesn’t look traumatic. We are not seeing direct injury to the head, so the bleeding is not a result of trauma.”
He added that the team will perform further histological and toxicological tests and consult with the hospital surgeons who had conducted a craniotomy (open head surgery) on Wangui. The final report is expected in two weeks, by July 28.
Family spokesperson Susan Rienye said the family was satisfied with the preliminary findings and would wait for the final report before taking further steps.
Meanwhile, tensions flared in Nanyuki as angry residents of Likkii Estate took to the streets on Monday, demanding justice for Wangui’s death. Her case has added to growing concerns over police brutality in Kenya, coming shortly after the death of blogger Albert Ojwang, who also died while in custody.
Written By Rodney Mbua
