Silverio Omari
Charles Owino, 19, died from a gunshot wound to the head during anti-government protests near Nairobi in July, according to an autopsy report obtained by Reuters. However, his death was officially recorded as a road accident by the police, his brother revealed after identifying Owino’s body and being shown the morgue logbook. Reuters has not independently verified the logbook entry.
In another incident, police claimed 21-year-old Shaquille Obienge also died in a road accident, his father told Reuters, citing the morgue logbook. Yet, an autopsy later determined Obienge, a fellow protester, died from a gunshot wound to the neck. Both deaths occurred on the same day in Kitengela, a Nairobi suburb, during protests that erupted in response to tax hikes and political corruption.
In Kenya, police typically provide the initial cause of death recorded in morgue logbooks. Public pathologists conduct autopsies only after relatives identify the deceased. However, Reuters interviewed three police officers, who, on condition of anonymity, alleged that Kenyan police sometimes misclassify deaths caused by officers as accidents, mob justice, or drownings to obscure the truth.
Autopsy reports reviewed by Reuters, along with testimonies from relatives, reveal discrepancies in the recorded causes of death for Owino, Obienge, and two other protesters killed during demonstrations in June and July. Families matched the tags on the bodies to logbook entries, exposing police-reported causes that diverged from autopsy findings.
One such case involved Kepher Odiwuor Ouma, 24, whose death police attributed to mob justice. Yet, witnesses told Reuters that Ouma was apprehended and beaten unconscious by police at a protest. Similarly, the body of 22-year-old Denzel Omondi was found in water nine days after his disappearance, with his death officially recorded as drowning.
The National Police Service and Kenya’s government, including President William Ruto’s office, did not respond to Reuters’ inquiries about these cases. Meanwhile, rights groups have accused authorities of covering up alleged police killings, enforced disappearances, and illegal detentions during what became known as the Gen-Z protests.
According to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, 82 cases of enforced disappearances were recorded between June and December, a stark increase compared to the previous 18 months. Of these, 29 individuals remain unaccounted for. Rights organizations linked some abductions to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations’ (DCI) Operation Action Team (OAT), reportedly comprised of former members of a disbanded police unit accused of extrajudicial killings.
While Deputy President Kithure Kindiki acknowledged the loss of lives during police actions, he maintained that lethal force is permissible in exceptional circumstances. In December, President Ruto also admitted to instances of police misconduct.
Reuters reviewed morgue logbooks from Nairobi Funeral Home, Kenya’s busiest public morgue, which revealed disparities in recorded fatalities. Between June and September, police listed only nine gunshot deaths, less than half the number from the same period a year prior. Meanwhile, deaths attributed to mob justice and drownings rose significantly.
George Obienge, father of Shaquille, described difficulties accessing the morgue before identifying his son’s body, which bore a neck wound. An autopsy confirmed Shaquille was shot at close range. Similarly, Ouma’s autopsy attributed his death to blunt force trauma, contradicting the police claim of mob justice.
The wave of protests saw thousands of young Kenyans take to the streets. Rights activists and protesters reported abductions and threats, with some alleging undercover officers infiltrated crowds to target ringleaders. Law student Joshua Okayo, detained and beaten, said his captors sought to recruit him as an informant, though Reuters could not verify their identity.
Despite calls for accountability, the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has made limited progress in investigating these allegations. Amnesty International’s Kenya chapter has expressed concerns over potential cover-ups of police actions.
The families of victims continue to seek answers, demanding justice for lives lost during Kenya’s most tumultuous protests in recent years.
Dj Vnyash
