Woman who died after being thrown out of police vehicle was not pregnant, had fibroids: Postmortem

A postmortem examination conducted on the body of a Kirinyaga woman who died after reportedly being thrown out of a moving vehicle has revealed that she was not pregnant, as earlier claimed, but had fibroids.

48-year-old Catherine Mwende Njeru, a mother of three, allegedly died after she was thrown out of a moving police vehicle by officers from Itangi Police Station. The incident occurred at Mugamba Ciura on the Piai - South Ngariama road in Mwea East, Kirinyaga County.

The matter was later reported at Wang’uru Police Station, and her body has been lying at the Embu Level Five Hospital mortuary.

The autopsy was conducted on Wednesday at the said facility by government pathologist Dr. Peter Ndegwa together with his colleague Dr. Rosemary Wangare Kamao.

According to Dr. Ndegwa, Mwende sustained extensive fatal injuries.

"There was quite an extensive fracture of the skull bone and bleeding in and around the brain. There was also dislocation of the spinal column at the level of the neck. There were fractures of some ribs on both sides and bruising of the lungs," said Dr. Ndegwa.

"The uterus was empty, but she had some fibroids, some growths on the uterus," he said, adding that there was no evidence of any struggle before her death.

The pathologist noted that while the injuries are circumstantially consistent with a fall from a moving vehicle, further investigations are needed.

"Circumstantially, yes, that could be possible, but that needs to be really investigated so that we can combine the two," he said.

Human rights institutions led by Hussein Khalid of Vocal Africa and Jane Mwaka of the Independent Medico-Legal Unit (IMLU), who witnessed the exercise, said the findings confirm police excess.

"The cause of death is multiple injuries which is consistent with the story that the family has told us. From the autopsy we have seen a huge fracture of the skull which means she hit the ground very hard," said Khalid.

The activists called on the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) to expedite investigations and arrest the officers involved.

"This is clear evidence that there was excess in how the police handled this particular couple, more specifically Catherine. We are calling for the immediate indictment of those officers who were involved in this incident. We are calling for justice for Catherine Njeru," added Khalid.

Khalid further alleged that police officers in the area have developed a habit of demanding money to transport residents in police vehicles.

"The information we have is that in that particular area, these police officers are used to asking for money to transport people. Officers are using public resources and charging people for those services, and when people do not have money, this is their usual treatment - throwing them out of vehicles," he said.

Meanwhile, the deceased's husband, Anthony Muturi Waweru, who also suffered injuries after he was thrown from the police vehicle, recounted the ordeal in pain.

Muturi said they were going to Rupingazi to water miraa at around 3am and pick it at around 5am when the officers allegedly asked them to enter their vehicle before demanding Ksh.1,000.

"They are the ones who asked us to enter the police vehicle before demanding for Ksh.1,000 and throwing away my wife. They thought I had died, that's why they threw my wife. I need justice and the officers arrested," Muturi said in pain.

The family has announced that Mwende will be buried on Tuesday next week at Makima village and has appealed to Kenyans and well-wishers to help them give her a decent burial, saying they are a family of little means.