Autopsy reveals six victims were first tortured then shot

Lilian Namayan (right) wife of Paul Kosgei being consoled by a relative at her home. [Kipsang Joseph, Standard]

A postmortem examination conducted on the bodies of six people abducted and killed in Baringo last week has revealed they were first tortured.

Dr Wamboi Wangare, the Baringo County pathologist and Dr Titus Ngulungu, the Independent Medical Legal Unit pathologist performed the postmortem yesterday at Baringo County Hospital morgue.

Victims identified

The victims were Paul Kosgei (human resource officer for Teachers Service Commission in Tiaty), Nelson Kordado (primary school head teacher), Brian Silale (IEBC official), David Kukat (medical student), Todoreng Tiyan (ranger) and Loporuso Sihreng (local resident).

They were abducted at a hotel in Chemolingot centre on Tuesday only for their bodies to be found at Arabal.

Copies of post morterm reports obtained by The Saturday Standard indicate that Tiyan and Kosgei had 10 gunshot wounds each.

The report further revealed the victims had injuries inflicted using sharp objects.

Silale had seven gunshot wounds while Kordado and Kukat suffered six and four gunshot injuries respectively.

Dr Wangare, in a general observation, was of the opinion that the victims were tortured before they were killed.

Some of the victims, she noted, had twisted arms while others had cuts on their hands.

She also revealed the injuries on the victims appeared to indicate they were shot from behind, at close range.

“There were some wounds which indicated that they were from sharp objects and some had fractures not related to gunshots,” Ngulungu said.

David Kuria, an equal rights activist, said the pathologist findings show aspect of torture which should be investigated.

“We advocate justice to be seen and served to the families of the deceased,” Kuria said.

The human rights defender who witnessed the postmortem urged the government to speed up investigations to unravel events that led to the killing of the six.

Paul Kosgei -a TSC Tiaty Sub County Human Resource officer who was among the six people abducted and murdered at Arabal, Baringo South. [Kipsang Joseph, Standard]

On Thursday, Silale MCA Nelson Lotela appeared before the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) for a second time for grilling over killings in the area.

Lotela is among Baringo politicians who have been linked to the recent attacks in Kapedo which left two police officers and over six civilians dead at the border of Baringo and Turkana counties. 

The MCA said he had been directed to appear before the DCI for a third time next month for further questioning.

“I have been told investigations are still ongoing. They have extended my inquiry until February 4. I am willing to cooperate with them until the truth is established,” Lotela said.

He dismissed claims that the Kapedo killings, which have been recurring since 2012, were being sponsored by politicians.

“There is pressure to portray the killings in Kapedo as sponsored.

“They are not politically planned. The government has the information and I believe it will bring it to the public,” Lotela said.

[Additional reporting by Kennedy Gachuhi]