This archive report was first published on 15 January 2020.
On December 26, 2019, Sheinda Gatwiri, a 28-year-old woman, was booked at Ruaraka police cells for burglary and stealing. Two days later, she was found dead by the sentry.
According to the government pathologist, Peter Ndegwa, Gatwiri had bruised neck ligature tissues and a cotton piece of cloth was tied around her neck with a sharp knot.
However, Murungi Gatwiri, Sheinda's sister, had earlier told the Star that her sister's body bore black spots at her left cheek, suggesting that she could have been hit with a blunt object. The postmortem report makes no mention of this.
Additionally, sources at the station had told the Star that the leadership's official explanation was that the woman took her life at around 2 am on December 28 using the lining of her petticoat. This explanation has been met with skepticism, as it is unlikely that someone could die from a petticoat lining.
The results obtained by the Star concluded that Sheinda Gatwiri died from 'neck compression due to hanging.' However, a source who witnessed the postmortem reported that the woman's body had a piece of cloth tightly around her neck without any physical signs of struggle or defensive injury.
