Mystery after senior Kenyan police officer found dead in US hotel room

The family of the late Inspector Walter Nyankieya Nyamato who died in Washington DC in the United States awaits a government response on what happened to their son.

This is after the U.S. government took over the investigation terming the issue as government-to-government, and saying that the autopsy results will be relayed to the Kenyan embassy in Washington DC.

Inspector Nyamato, who was based at the Administration Police Headquarters as the personal assistant to Deputy Inspector General of Police Noor Gabow, was in the company of nine other officers who flew out of the country on Friday evening last week.

He reached his destination on Sunday, and two days later, the family was informed that their kin was no more.

“Hao walikuwa askari kumi walikuwa wanasafiri kuenda Haiti lakini kama kawaida wao husimama either New York au Washington kwa muda kabla hawajaproceed kwenda Haiti,” the deceased’s father Phillip Nyamato said.

According to the family, the group of 10 had dinner together and agreed to congregate early morning for a meeting before carrying on with the journey, only for Inspector Nyamato's body to be found in his hotel room after failing to join his colleagues as agreed.

“Ati hao huko America wanatumia code wakatumia code wakafungua mlango wakapata huyo kijana yangu amelala kwa kitanda na tumbo yake,” his father added.

The father said they’re yet to understand what happened, adding that a relative in the United States could not gather anything after the American authorities took over the investigations.

“Nilituma ndugu ya huyo kijana anaitwa Wyclife anakaa Minnesota, walimuelezea ya kwamba hawezi kuona mwili na hawatatoa ripoti yeyote ya post-mortem kwa sababu hii issue ni ya government-to-governemnt,” said Phillip.

The deceased’s brother Isaac Nyamato added: “It was on Tuesday night this week when I received a call from my cousin from Nairobi and he told me the information that he has may not be a good one.”

The family has been informed that the post-mortem examination results of their kin will be given through the Kenyan embassy in the United States.

Kin eulogized the late inspector as a hard-working man who cooperated with the entire family and his village.

“Ni mtoto mtulivu mtoto anayependa sana kusaidia community, akipigiwa simu anafanya vile ameambiwa kama ni commitee, mchango wa nyumbani anatuma pesa,” Antony Atuka, a resident of Nyatieko, said.

“Ni kitu cha kustua sana kwa vile hatujakuwa tukiskia ako mgonjwa kwa hivo kwa ufupi tumepoteza kijana mwenye nguvu,” James Obwaya, another resident, noted.

Isaac added: “Hatujajua vizuri nini ilifanyika lakini we leave everything to God to give us the answer as we wait for the autopsy to be done...tuko kwa giza but I believe God will give us strength as a family.”

It is not yet clear what the 10 officers were going to do in Haiti, as Deputy Inspector General of Police Noor Gabow said that they were attending a seminar in the US.