This archive report was first published on 25 December 2019.
On December 25, 2019, the sudden death of Judge Otieno Odek shocked the legal fraternity in Kenya. A postmortem examination conducted by Chief Government Pathologist Johansen Oduor revealed that the 56-year-old judge died as a result of a blood clot in his right leg.
According to Dr. Oduor, the blood clot blocked an artery and consequently choked the heart, leading to the judge's sudden demise. The pathologist noted that sitting for long hours could have contributed to the blood clot, which was likely caused by a lack of exercise.
At the time of his death, Judge Odek had a full in-tray, with a dozen high-profile cases pending judgment. His colleagues, Justices Asikhe Makhandia and Patrick Kiage, had arrived at the Court of Appeal in Kisumu, waiting for him to proceed with court matters.
Dr. Oduor stated, 'We found a clot, and he died suddenly because of that. The blood clot blocked the pulmonary thromboembolism.'
