Pathologist rules out drowning in fisherman’s death, calls for further probe
Ekimomor went missing on February 20, 2025 while fishing in Lake Nakuru, and his body was discovered the following day by fellow fishermen.
A postmortem examination on the body of a fisherman found floating in Lake Nakuru last Wednesday has ruled out drowning as the cause of death.
The results indicated that the fisherman, Justus Ekimomor Purokuor, 31, died from hypoxic brain injury.
Ekimomor went missing on February 20, 2025 while fishing in Lake Nakuru, and his body was discovered the following day by fellow fishermen.
The discovery led to the involvement of police and authorities to investigate the cause of death.
The autopsy, conducted by government pathologist Dr. Titus Ngulungu at the Nakuru City Mortuary, revealed bruises on Ekimomor's head and back, but no significant damage to his tissues.
Though there was evidence of oxygen deprivation in his internal organs, Dr. Ngulungu found no signs of strangulation or airway obstruction. Despite the body being found floating in the lake, the autopsy definitively ruled out drowning.
"Based on my examination, I conclude that the cause of death was hypoxic brain injury. We are still investigating the cause of the hypoxia. Toxicology and other blood chemistry tests will be done," he stated.
The postmortem was carried out in the presence of Ekimomor's family, a doctor, and human rights defenders. His father, speaking after the autopsy, voiced his concerns and called for a thorough investigation into his son's death.
"He went into the lake wearing a life jacket. How then could they say he drowned? There is something fishy going on at the lake. A thorough investigation should be conducted," he said.
Nakuru Human Rights Defender David Kuria also spoke out, urging the government to initiate an independent inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death and reports of harassment at the lake.
"We know fishing at the lake is illegal, but there are legal mechanisms to handle this. Anyone arrested in the lake should be taken to court instead of being killed," Kuria said.
The case has raised concerns about the treatment of fishermen in the area and the safety conditions on Lake Nakuru.
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