The family of 35-year-old Stephen Mwangi has rejected the postmortem results, despite the National Police Service claiming that he hanged himself inside the armoury of Kenol Police Station.
The report, compiled by Dr Waithera Mbau on Monday at the Murang'a Level Five Hospital Mortuary, attributed Mwangi’s death to asphyxia. However, Dr Mbau noted that the report was inconclusive, as further forensic tests are required to establish the final cause of death.
The deceased’s father, John Muiruri, collapsed and had to be attended to by relatives after witnessing the procedure.
Stephen Mwangi Muiruri who allegedly hanged himself at Kenol Police Station on August 5, 2025.
Photo credit: Pool
This comes as the National Police Service Commission has ordered the transfer of Kenol Police Station boss, Albert Kipchumba, while investigations into the security lapse and the controversy surrounding the death continue.
Other officers, including Directorate of Investigations boss John Kanda and his deputy Abdul Wako, have recorded statements. All of them, including Mr Kipchumba, claimed they were off duty on the day of the incident.
In her report to the Murang'a County Security Committee, Murang'a South Police Station Commander Charity Karimi stated that 'the body was found at around 3 pm by a casual labourer who cleans the station'.
She added that a broken cable had been found at the scene, suggesting that the victim may have made an initial failed attempt before succeeding in a second attempt to end his life. Ms Karimi admitted to lapses in vigilance at the station and promised to provide more details on how security at such a facility had been breached, resulting in what she described as a 'controversial death'.
Dr Mbau explained that preliminary investigations indicated that Mwangi died due to a lack of oxygen and a build-up of carbon dioxide in the body, which led to respiratory failure. She said that this condition was caused by choking or obstruction of the airway through compression of blood vessels and nerves in the neck.
“However, the results cannot determine how it happened. Our work is to capture the cause of death as accurately as possible. Whether it was self-inflicted or caused by another person is for investigators to establish,” she clarified.
“We are flabbergasted that the postmortem appeared to overlook several important leads. When family members viewed the body at the mortuary on August 12, 2025, it was oozing blood from the mouth,” he said.
Dr Mbau, however, stated that she observed no physical injuries on the body. The family countered that the presence of blood suggested internal bleeding, either in the head or the neck.
“There was no neck muscle haematoma or subcutaneous haemorrhage noted. The laryngeal cartilages were intact, and there was no hyoid bone fracture,” she said in her report.
She added that her examination found no evidence of forceful injury to the neck or other parts of the body. Instead, she pointed to an oblique ligature mark around the neck, most prominent on the anterior right lateral and posterior sides. The mark had a parchment-like appearance and was consistent with asphyxia.
The body had been preserved with a black cord around the neck measuring 115 centimetres in length, one centimetre in diameter, with a knot near one end.
Samples, including blood, urine, nails, and cartilage chips, were taken for toxicology analysis to produce a conclusive report.
“All that medical English did not help address our strong doubts. We asked the pathologist directly if she could clarify whether the deceased hanged himself or was hanged, and she said it was not possible to tell. This leaves us with only a partial answer: that our kin died of lack of oxygen caused by pressure on the neck from a cord—but no evidence of who applied that pressure,” he said.
“It is frustrating that the same police who reported his death as suicide are the ones investigating the incident. We would want to see CCTV footage showing how the deceased entered the station, moved around freely, and ended up hanging himself inside an unguarded armoury,” Mr Ngugi said.
The family expressed dissatisfaction with both the postmortem findings and the police account, saying they were left with “a fairy tale” rather than credible answers.
“In our humble means, only faith in God will give us justice. We shall bury our kin on August 21, 2025, at Njora village in Kigumo Constituency. But closure for us will come only from the Holy Spirit, as we continue to pray for truth,” said Mr Ngugi.
