Chris Msando was tortured and strangled, postmortem shows

Chris Msando. 

Slain IEBC ICT manager Chris Msando was tortured and strangled by his killers, a postmortem on his body shows.

The postmortem exercise conducted Wednesday indicated his killers also hit him with a blunt object in the head inflicting a deep cut.

His back had deep scratches, indicating the body could have been dragged on a rough surface. His right hand too had deep cuts.

The autopsy was conducted by Government Chief Pathologist Dr Jahansen Oduor and family Pathologist Dr Bessie Byakika.

Police led by a team from the Homicide department were also present during the two hour operation.

“He was strangled. Strangulation was the cause of the death. He also had cuts on his hand,” said Dr Oduor.

This now forms the basis of the probe into the murder that happened hours after Msando was abducted. His body alongside that of 21-year-old nutrition student Maryanne Wairimu Ngumbu were found dumped in a forest in Kikuyu area on Saturday.

Police say they are talking to at least three suspects in connection with the murder. It is not clear what role the suspects played in the murder of the two.

The team investigating the murder reconvened in Nairobi Area DCI office to strategise the way forward.

They said they had covered much of the ground and now with the results of the postmortem out, they were focussing on getting the killers and their motive.

They said they are following among other angles, business and tenders at the commission or Msando’s position.

The team said they couldn’t trace the clothes and other personal belongings that he had before his death.

They are interested to know where Msando’s three mobile phones and clothes are, to help them in their probe.

Wairimu’s clothes and mobile phone are also missing.

They also want to know the identity of the woman who was seated in the co-driver’s seat and two men who were behind Msando’s car as captured on various CCTV cameras in the city.

The woman is not Wairimu, the preliminary probe has shown.

“Some people have claimed the said woman is a businesswoman working with the commission and efforts to get her are ongoing,” said an investigator aware of the probe.

Police are also investigating claims the driver captured in the cameras was not Msando. This follows witness accounts that when the deceased left a bar along Koinange Street, someone else took over the car’s steering.

Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinnet said the murder is a crime of grave proportions and a special DCI Homicide team had been set up to investigate the murder.

“We are following certain crucial leads that we believe could lead to the eventual arrest and prosecution of the murderers,” said Boinnet.

He appealed to anyone with information on the death to provide the same to them.