A postmortem examination has taken a dramatic turn in the case of a 48-year-old Kirinyaga woman whose death allegedly followed a fall from a moving police vehicle, with doctors ruling out earlier claims that she was pregnant.
Catherine Mwende Njeru, a mother of three, reportedly died after she was allegedly thrown from a moving police vehicle by officers attached to Itangi Police Station. The incident is said to have occurred at Mugamba Ciura along the Piai–South Ngariama road in Mwea East, Kirinyaga County.
Her death has sparked public concern and renewed calls for an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Following the tragedy, the matter was reported at Wang’uru Police Station, while Mwende’s body was taken to the Embu Level Five Hospital mortuary, where it remained pending a postmortem examination.
The autopsy was conducted on Wednesday by government pathologist Dr Peter Ndegwa, assisted by his colleague Dr Rosemary Wangare Kamao.
According to Dr Ndegwa, the examination established that Mwende suffered devastating injuries that were sufficient to cause death.
“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,” the pathologist said.
He added that Mwende had also sustained fractures to several ribs on both sides of her body, as well as bruising of the lungs.
One of the key findings from the examination was that Mwende was not pregnant, contrary to earlier claims surrounding her death.
“The uterus was empty, but she had some fibroids, some growths on the uterus,” Dr Ndegwa explained.
The examination also reportedly found no evidence of a struggle before her death.
However, the pathologist cautioned that while the injuries were circumstantially consistent with a person falling from a moving vehicle, further investigations would be necessary to establish exactly what happened.
Human rights activists who witnessed the postmortem have demanded swift action from authorities.
Hussein Khalid of Vocal Africa and Jane Mwaka of the Independent Medico-Legal Unit (IMLU) were present during the examination and said the findings were consistent with concerns raised by Mwende’s family.
Khalid said the severity of the skull fracture indicated that Mwende had struck the ground with considerable force.
“The cause of death is multiple injuries which is consistent with the story that the family has told us,” he said.
The activists have subsequently called on the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) to expedite investigations and establish the individual responsibility of the officers allegedly involved.
They have also urged authorities to ensure that any officer found culpable is held accountable.
As the investigation continues, Mwende’s family is now left seeking answers over how a mother of three lost her life under circumstances that have raised serious questions about police conduct.
The autopsy has provided important medical findings, but the central question remains unanswered: what exactly happened to Catherine Mwende Njeru before she suffered the fatal injuries?
That question now rests with investigators as pressure mounts for a transparent and thorough inquiry.
