This archive report was first published on 6 November 2019.
On November 6, 2019, a postmortem was conducted on the body of Sylvester Otieno Odoi, a 25-year-old man who died in a police post in Ugenya sub county, Siaya.
The postmortem, carried out by two pathologists, revealed signs of torture, including a dislocated shoulder and marks on his wrist.
Further analysis of the body showed blood clots on the brain and lungs, as well as foam-like substances from the lungs, indicating that the deceased could have been strangled at some point.
Family members and human rights activists had raised concerns that the police were tampering with evidence to shield their own from prosecution.
However, Dr. Dickson Mchana, a consultant pathologist, assured that the samples taken from the deceased's body would be analyzed at the government chemist and the results would be available within three weeks.
Earlier, a commotion ensued when the medical officer, Dr. Olive Onyango, demanded a Sh5,000 fee for carrying out the postmortem, despite the family having already paid a Sh12,500 fee.
Field coordinator for Malaika Foundation, Fredrick Ojiro, condemned the medic's actions and called for the immediate arrest and arraignment of the suspected perpetrators.
