IG Koome Seeks Court Order For Exhuming Jeff Mwathi's Body

The Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome on Sunday, March 26 confirmed that police will move to court seeking orders to exhume the body of the late Jeff Mwathi in what could bring a new turn in ongoing investigations.

The IG indicated that the Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Mohamed Amin had made the request after inconsistencies were found by the police during investigations into Mwathi's murder.

The agency requested for the body to be exhumed to seal off any loopholes established and determine what direction the probe would take next.

"The DCI has brought to my attention one case where we shall go to court to obtain an order for exhumation. We were informed that the deceased jumped from a house and assessed the window.

"We need to have that body exhumed, look at the dimensions of the opening, and compare it to his body," he addressed.

The IG further assured Kenyans that if Mwathi's death was determined to be a homicide, then whoever is responsible will face the law. He was responding to some claims that multiple parties were involved in the cover-up of Mwathi's murder.

The police boss further acknowledged the increase in the recent death cases in the Kasarani estate involving victims 'jumping off' buildings.

He explained the delay in arresting suspects and releasing investigation findings, in response to concerns by Members of Parliament (MPs) from Kiambu County on why nobody was arrested two weeks after Interior Cabinet Secretary (CS) Kithure Kindiki ordered the DCI to initiate a probe into Mwathi's death.

"When anyone dies, we identify it as sudden death under the Criminal Procedure Code. The police then start an inquiry to determine whether it is murder or suicide," he explained.

The death of the 23-year-old led to three similar cases occurring in quick succession, sending worry amongst residents of Kasarani and Roysambu estates, residential areas that were turned into the epicentre of headline-making mystery deaths across the country.

On March 12, Blair Muthomi reportedly jumped from the rooftop of a six-storey building in Kasarani under unclear circumstances, a few metres from where Mwathi died. Two of his housemates were arrested by police as persons of interest in the case. 

Before the two cases occurred, Brenda Kawira on February 21 jumped to her death from the fourth floor of her apartment in Kasarani following an argument with her boyfriend, identified by several reports so far as 30-year-old John Marvin Kiretai, alias DJ Dela.

The latest saw Joseph Kubende, a popular Bungoma artist die on Thursday, March 23 after falling from a building in Roysambu Constituency.