This archive report was first published on 4 July 2019.
On August 10, 2017, six-month-old baby Samantha Pendo lost her life in the chaos that followed Kenya's post-election violence. An autopsy report revealed that the infant succumbed to severe head injuries inflicted by police officers responding to protests in Nyalenda estate, Kisumu County.
Five senior police officers were found culpable in the infant's death: former Kisumu County commander Titus Yoma, former OCPD Kisumu East Christopher Mutune, former OCS John Thiringi, Inspector of Police Linah Kogei, and Benjamin Koima, the then AP commandant Kisumu Central.
Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji has announced that he is reviewing the case file to initiate prosecution of the suspects found culpable. This decision will be informed by the findings of a public inquest into the killing of baby Pendo.
"I am in the process of reviewing the file on Baby Pendo in order to initiate prosecution of suspects found culpable as per the finding of the inquest for the death of Baby Samantha Pendo in 2017," DPP Haji said during the opening of an international conference on police accountability in Africa.
