Kenei ‘died a day or two before body was found’

An undated picture of Sergeant John Kipyegon Kenei, 33, who was found dead in his house in Imara Daima, Nairobi County, on February 20, 2020. PHOTO | COURTESY

What you need to know:

  • Government Pathologist Johansen Oduor said Kenei died a day or two before his body was found.
  • The gunshot wound was a “contact type,” meaning firearm was pressed directly against the spot where the bullet entered.

Preliminary autopsy results revealed that Kipyegon Kenei was killed by a bullet that was fired from a pistol held to his chin.

It was also revealed that he died a day or two before his body was found lying on the floor at his Twiga Court house in Imara Daima estate, Nairobi, on Tuesday last week.

The autopsy was carried out Wednesday, after it was postponed on Monday due to the unavailability of Chief Government Pathologist Johansen Oduor.

After concluding the procedure that lasted about three hours, Dr Oduor said the body had no bruises, which he said did not rule out homicide as a probable cause of Kenei’s death.

It also emerged that detectives are following multiple leads in efforts to establish the truth on the cause of the officer’s death.

“What we have been able to establish is that Mr Kenei died because of a single-contact gunshot that entered the body through the chin and exited on the forehead. What we are yet to establish is whether it was suicide or homicide,” said Dr Oduor.

Before the post-mortem examination, the family, led by Kenei’s father, Mr John Chesang, was allowed to view the body for the first time since he died on Thursday last week.

Perhaps most shocking to them was the confirmation that their son’s body had started to decompose.

The viewing lasted only a few minutes and they walked out one by one, some overwhelmed by grief.

The autopsy started at 11am and ended at around 2pm. It was witnessed by five doctors. There were two government pathologists, Dr Oduor and Dr Richard Njoroge, a family doctor and two family pathologists.

Also present were family representatives, Government Chemist officials and detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations.

Dr Oduor said samples taken from Kenei’s body would be analysed at the Government Chemist to establish whether he killed himself or was murdered.

Today, the pathologists are expected to visit Kenei’s house in Imara Daima estate to establish if indeed he died at the scene.

Kenei’s death is the latest development in the Sh40 billion fake arms deal case, in which former Sports Cabinet Secretary Rashid Echesa and three others have been charged in court.

Mr Echesa is accused of duping Eco-Advanced Technologies that he could assist them secure an arms tender at the Ministry of Defence, for which he allegedly pocketed Sh11.5 million as consultancy fee.

Sergeant Kenei was one of the Critical Infrastructure Police Unit officers on duty at Deputy President William Ruto’s Harambee House Annex offices when Mr Echesa and two foreigners allegedly visited to discuss details of the fake tender.

On February 17, Mr Echesa, Mr Daniel Otieno Omondi, Mr Kennedy Oyoo Mboya and Mr Clifford Okoth pleaded not guilty to 12 counts of fraud-related charges at the Milimani Law Courts.

They all denied conspiring to commit a felony, making a document without authority, obtaining money by false pretence, attempting to commit a felony and uttering a false document.

They were each released on Sh1 million cash bail.