Julia Wangui's death: Family rejects post-mortem findings, accuses state of cover-up

The family of Julia Wangui, the 21-year-old woman who died while in custody in Nanyuki, has dismissed the official autopsy findings, claiming the process was manipulated to clear police and prison authorities of any wrongdoing.

Speaking at the Nanyuki Cottage Hospital mortuary after the release of a second post-mortem report, family spokesperson Susan Rienye said they were misled by the pathologist they hired, who they later discovered was employed by the government.

“When we hired the pathologist and made a down payment of Sh50,000, she never disclosed to us that she works for the government. We only found out after the first post-mortem,” she said as quoted by the Daily Nation.

The family said they no longer trust the results, which stated that Wangui died after a blood vessel in her brain burst.

The initial autopsy, done at the same facility two weeks earlier, did not give a clear cause of death, with the three pathologists requesting more time to complete toxicology tests and obtain a medical report from doctors who treated her.

Peter Ndegwa, who led the post-mortem process, had previously said, “The cause of death appears to be bleeding in the brain, but we have not established head trauma as the cause. We plan to conduct toxicology tests and await a report from the doctors who operated on her.”

He also mentioned irregularities in her liver, lungs and pancreas.

However, Monday’s briefing turned chaotic after members of Wangui’s family challenged the doctors, accusing them of manipulating the outcome.

The confrontation forced Ndegwa to cut short the media briefing and leave the scene.

The family, backed by the Law Society of Kenya, has accused the doctors of selectively sharing information and intentionally locking them out of the process.

They claimed the head surgery report was only handed to officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, saying the move was part of a wider plan to block access to the truth.

“We will demand access to the medical report, and if the hospital fails to cooperate, we may seek court orders. As LSK, we will stand with the family to ensure justice is served,” said lawyer Kimaru Kibuchi.

Family lawyer Njanja Maina said they were considering applying for a third post-mortem to seek independent verification of the cause of death.

Wangui, the daughter of Nurukuma Chief Martin Kariuki, was arrested on July 7 during a protest in Likii Estate marking Saba Saba Day.

She was held at Nanyuki Police Station and arraigned the following day.

Although she was granted bail of Sh50,000, she remained in custody after failing to raise the amount and was taken to Nanyuki GK Prison.

It was while at the prison that she collapsed and was rushed to Nanyuki Teaching and Referral Hospital before being transferred to Nanyuki Cottage Hospital, where she died the next day.

The family continues to demand answers, expressing frustration at what they view as attempts by State actors to cover up the real circumstances surrounding her death.