Inquest into baby Samantha Pendo's death starts Monday

Former Karachuonyo MP Phoebe Asiyo (left) condoles Samantha Pendo's mother Lancer Achieng in her home in Kilo, Kisumu County on August 16, 2017. A public inquest seeking to establish Pendo's killers will commence on February 19. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Baby Pendo died in August last year while undergoing treatment after she was allegedly hit on the head by police officers.

A public inquest seeking to establish how six-month-old Samantha Pendo died in August last year will begin on Monday next week before a Kisumu court.

Resident Magistrate Beryl Omollo set the February 19 date noting that the matter must be expedited because of the immense public outcry that it elicits.

POST-ELECTION PROTESTS

Baby Pendo died in hospital after she was allegedly hit on the head by police officers who were on duty quelling protests by Nasa supporters in Kisumu following the declaration of Uhuru Kenyatta as the winner of the presidential election.

Activist and Kisumu City Residents Voice Chairman Audi Ogada is among those who will give their testimony in the case after the court accepted his request to be enjoined in the case to represent the interest of Kisumu residents in the matter.

But he will appear as a witness and not an interested party as he had requested the court.

While directing him to appear as a witness, Hon Omollo said: "This is just an inquiry so the best thing you can do is to record your statement, should we find that it is critical to the case then we will call you and treat you as one of the witnesses."

According to the representative office of the Director of Public Prosecutions Prosecutor Nyakundi Mokaya, he has lined up 21 witnesses who are ready to testify in the inquiry.

They include the deceased parents Joseph Abanja and Lencer Achieng, Dr Dixon Mchana who conducted the postmortem, several police officers among others.

The inquest had been ordered by the former Director of Public Prosecutions Keriako Tobiko.