This archive report was first published on 19 July 2019.
On July 19, 2019, a 39-year-old Isiolo businessman, Patrick Gitonga, died in hospital after being held at the Isiolo Police Station over allegations of threatening to kill.
A post-mortem carried out on Gitonga established that he died following severe head injuries inflicted by a blunt object.
Contrary to earlier police reports that Gitonga complained of being unwell and was taken to the Isiolo Level Four Hospital where he died, the autopsy results revealed that the businessman died from excessive internal bleeding.
Government Pathologist Grace Mindigo's report stated that Gitonga had a massive blood clot on the left side of his head where he was hit.
Former Government Pathologist Moses Njue, who is representing Gitonga's family, commented on the report, saying the victim also had injuries on the face and legs.
'It seems he was alert and struggled to defend himself. He had no open wounds; only internal injuries,' said Dr Njue.
Gitonga had been arrested by four policemen from Isiolo after he allegedly threatened to attack a woman in Nyara area.
However, Isiolo Sub-county Police Commander Moses Owiti defended the officers, saying the businessman turned on them when they went to arrest him.
'The moment he was being arrested he became violent and resisted. He actually wanted to hit one of the police officers with a stone. It is the public who helped the officers arrest him,' said Mr Owiti.
Gitonga's family has dismissed the police claims and wants the Directorate of Criminal Investigations and the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) to take up the case based on the autopsy report.
'The family wants justice to be done first,' said Malius Maranya, the family lawyer. 'They want the post-mortem results to be considered as investigators carry on with their work. They want this case to be settled urgently.'
