Postmortem reveals how four men died in pineapple farm

The four bodies were found on December 20 in the Del Monte farm. [iStockphoto]

Postmortems on the four bodies found in a pineapple plantation in Thika have revealed that they drowned.

The bodies of Francis Muimi, Bernard Mutua, Mbae Murumbi and another who is yet to be identified, aged between 20 and 30, were found on December 20 in the Del Monte farm.

The autopsy was conducted on Friday by three pathologists, representing the government, the families and the company.

The families, however, raised questions. Bernard Mindiya, the pathologist representing the families, noted that the reports will now pave the way for detectives to conclude investigations to establish how the bodies got injuries.

"We had several injuries on the head, some were around the neck while others were on the hands. They will be documented in detail and in the required format, which will assist in further investigations," he said.

But Dr Geoffrey Mutuma, who represented Del Monte, said the injuries may have been sustained after death.

"The injuries were so minor and so shallow to cause incapacitation. What we cannot confirm is whether they were inflicted before or after drowning. That we leave to the investigating authority," Mutuma said.

The families appealed to the government to help them pursue justice for their loved ones.

Kamanda Mucheke, who is in charge of complaints and investigations at the Kenya National Commission of Human Rights, said they had received complaints about human rights violations in the area.

For the last two months, Kamanda said five complaints about mysterious deaths around the plantation have been reported.

He alluded that the deaths of the four may have occurred after they were assaulted, adding that investigations would continue and shed light on the deaths.