Mombasa court closes inquest into British national's mysterious death after 11 years

A Mombasa court has closed the inquest into the death of British national Harry Roy Veevers, bringing to an end an 11-year legal process that failed to establish the cause of death.

Senior Resident Magistrate David Odhiambo on Tuesday ruled that conflicting forensic reports and the advanced decomposition of Veevers’ body meant the cause of death could not be determined.

“Due to the level of decomposition and the conflicting reports by pathologists, the government chemist and other experts, the cause of death remains unknown, and as such nobody can be called to answer to any charge,” the magistrate said.

According to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), Veevers was buried in a Muslim cemetery within days of his death, without a post-mortem examination or police involvement.

His sons accused his long-time partner, Azra Parvin Din, and her daughters of rushing the burial to conceal the cause of death, alleging that their father may have been poisoned for financial gain; they petitioned for his exhumation in 2013 and were succesful.

The inquest, which passed through several magistrates over the years, heard testimony from 16 witnesses, including family members, investigators, and forensic experts from Kenya and the UK.

“Some forensic tests detected traces of cyhalothrin, a pesticide, while others found none,” noted the ODPP.

“Experts warned that decomposition and possible contamination undermined the reliability of the findings. The court also cited procedural lapses, such as poor chain-of-custody documentation for evidence.”

Magistrate Odhiambo ordered that Veevers’ remains—kept at the Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital mortuary for 11 years, six months, one week and five days—be released to the family for reburial at a site of their choice, upon payment of mortuary fees.

The court added that the inquest could only be reopened if new evidence emerges.