State doctor rules out suicide in officer’s death

By VINCENT MABATUK

Nakuru , Kenya: A Government pathologist has told an inquest, investigating the death of an AP officer in Nakuru that the officer did not commit suicide as had been alleged.

A statement from the police had indicated that Paul Mwaura, an Administration Police officer who was attached to Kwa Gitau AP Post, had committed suicide. But Titus Ngulungu refuted the report, saying suicide was unlikely.

In his examination, Dr Ngulungu observed that the officer had a gaping wound in the chest and had suffered multiple injuries inflicted by a blunt object.

“The body had multiple injuries on the hands, chest, head, neck and back. It is unlikely he hanged himself,” said the pathologist.

Smoked bhang

Testifying during the inquest, a senior sergeant, Naomi Jebet, who was in charge of the AP post, shocked the court when she said the deceased would smoke bhang in front of her and she would do nothing about it.

Ms Jebet gave contradicting information on the day the AP was found dead.

Jebet said Mwaura had sought permission to visit Bishop Francis Ng’ang’a of Apostle of Christ Churches of Kenya, which she granted.

The bishop had earlier told the inquest that Mwaura had informed him that he was not on good terms with his colleagues and was intending to apply for a transfer.

The sergeant informed the court that Mwaura was scheduled to be off duty for one week beginning Monday, the day his body was discovered.

She said her junior returned from visiting the bishop screaming and saying he had been discovered but was not ready to die alone.

“He forced his way into my house half-naked and without shoes and said he wanted water; we were scared and my husband remained in bed,” the officer told the inquest.

Jebet at some point denied sections of a statement attributed to her, insisting they were not correct and pleaded with acting Senior Principal Magistrate Maroro Nyakundi to take what she was testifying as the truth.

Her change of mind was strongly condemned by the prosecutor, Cosmas Ikunya, who protested that a second statement she had recorded with the Nakuru DCIO should not be entertained by the court because it was an afterthought.

Jebet told the court that she never viewed Mwaura’s body but gave no reason why.

Lawyer Paul Murimi, who represented Mwaura’s family, said the presence of the senior sergeant’s husband on the fateful night was questionable given the fact that although he was also a police officer, he showed no interest in the unusual events.

“It is interesting that in her statements, the senior officer never mentioned the bhang smoking. This fresh introduction is quite strange and should be ignored,” argued the advocate.