Pathologist: Kianjokoma brothers died from blunt trauma, not fall from police vehicle
Police at the time alleged that the siblings had leapt from a moving vehicle while being taken to Embu Police Station for breaching COVID-19 curfew rules. Their bodies were later recovered along Kiriari Road.
A government pathologist has told the High Court in Nairobi that the injuries sustained by Embu brothers Emmanuel Mutura and Benson Njiru were inconsistent with police claims that they jumped from a moving motor vehicle.
Testifying as the seventh prosecution witness, the doctor said he carried out postmortem examinations on the siblings on August 5, 2021, at Embu Level 5 Hospital in the presence of their relatives and police officers.
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The court heard that Mutura, 19, was found dressed in a green T-shirt and black trousers, with no damage to his clothing.
Externally, he had extensive bruises on the face and neck, with blood oozing from his ears and nostrils. Internally, the doctor documented multiple skull fractures and brain lacerations.
He concluded that Mutura died from severe head injuries caused by blunt force trauma, and not from a fall.
On Njiru, 22, the pathologist told the court he observed blood stains and dust on the body, with visible deformities to the face and skull.
He also noted a dislocated shoulder, compound fractures on the leg, and injuries to the chest and abdomen. "Internally, there were multiple rib fractures and extensive brain damage", he testified.
The doctor further observed marks consistent with dragging on a rough surface. He concluded that Njiru died from multiple blunt force injuries.
Under cross-examination by lawyer Danstan Omari, who represents some of the accused police officers, the witness conceded that falls from vehicles can sometimes cause multiple injuries.
However, he maintained that such accidents usually result in torn clothing and rolling patterns on the body - signs which were absent in both cases.
The postmortems were conducted three days after the brothers were reported dead on the night of August 1, 2021.
Police at the time alleged that the siblings had leapt from a moving vehicle while being taken to Embu Police Station for breaching COVID-19 curfew rules. Their bodies were later recovered along Kiriari Road.
The deaths of the two young men sparked protests in Kianjokoma, Embu County, and nationwide condemnation, with the family accusing police of brutality and a cover-up.
Six officers were subsequently charged with murder, and the case is being heard before the Milimani High Court.
The doctor's testimony is the latest to challenge the police narrative, strengthening the prosecution's case that the brothers were victims of fatal blunt force.
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