Chief Government Pathologist confirms prominent psychologist died from massive blood loss as detectives widen investigations into the Upper Hill killing.
Clinical psychologist and mental health researcher Dr Victoria Nthunya Mutiso died from severe blood loss after sustaining three gunshot wounds during the July 29 shooting in Nairobi's Upper Hill, Chief Government Pathologist Johansen Oduor has confirmed.
The findings emerged after a four-hour postmortem examination conducted on Friday, July 31, at the Kenyatta National Hospital mortuary in the presence of homicide detectives and members of Mutiso's family.
According to Oduor, the autopsy established that the renowned psychologist suffered three gunshot wounds, two to the head and one to the upper back, causing catastrophic injuries to her head and chest.
"What led to her death was severe bleeding and chest injury and also head injury because...
Chief Government Pathologist confirms prominent psychologist died from massive blood loss as detectives widen investigations into the Upper Hill killing.
Clinical psychologist and mental health researcher Dr Victoria Nthunya Mutiso died from severe blood loss after sustaining three gunshot wounds during the July 29 shooting in Nairobi's Upper Hill, Chief Government Pathologist Johansen Oduor has confirmed.
The findings emerged after a four-hour postmortem examination conducted on Friday, July 31, at the Kenyatta National Hospital mortuary in the presence of homicide detectives and members of Mutiso's family.
According to Oduor, the autopsy established that the renowned psychologist suffered three gunshot wounds, two to the head and one to the upper back, causing catastrophic injuries to her head and chest.
"What led to her death was severe bleeding and chest injury and also head injury because of the three bullet wounds," Oduor said after the examination.
The government pathologist disclosed that two bullets entered through the left side of Mutiso's head before exiting on the right, while a third bullet entered through her back, inflicting fatal chest injuries.
"We found that she was shot three times: twice on the head, the two gunshots which exited on the right side; the entry was on the left side and the exit on the right side. There was also another entry on the back," he explained.
Oduor said the combination of extensive head trauma, chest injuries and massive blood loss left virtually no chance of survival, underscoring the deadly nature of the attack.
The postmortem findings now form a critical piece of evidence as homicide detectives intensify investigations into the killing that has shocked the country's medical and research community.
The developments came a day after investigators arraigned two suspects, a mother and her son, before the Milimani Law Courts, seeking orders to detain them for 30 days to allow completion of investigations.
Court documents filed by detectives indicate that Mutiso had reported at least two separate incidents in which armed men riding a motorcycle allegedly trailed and threatened her before the fatal shooting.
Investigators further told the court that following one of the reported incidents in July, Mutiso identified the pillion passenger on the motorcycle as the son now under investigation.
Detectives are also pursuing another key line of inquiry by examining whether Mutiso's killing could be linked to the 2025 fatal shooting of lawyer Mathew Kyalo Mbobu, who represented the mother's former husband in a protracted property dispute.
The possible connection has widened the scope of the investigation as officers scrutinise previous threats, relationships between the suspects and victims, and any common motive that may have triggered the attacks.
Police maintain that both investigations remain active and have not ruled out any angle as they continue gathering forensic evidence, witness statements and ballistic analysis to establish the circumstances surrounding the killing.
The case has attracted widespread public attention, with investigators under pressure to determine whether the murder was a targeted execution and identify everyone involved in planning and carrying out the deadly attack.
