Njoroge however revealed that the two bodies had already massively decomposed by the time the postmortem was done.
Justus Mutumwa and Martin Mwau, the Mlolongo 2 abductees who were found dead in January, succumbed to multiple abdominal and chest injuries caused by a blunt object and strangulation, an indication that they were murdered.
This was confirmed by pathologist Richard Njoroge, who on Wednesday, February 5 gave details of the post-mortem at the City Mortuary. Njoroge however revealed that the two bodies had already massively decomposed by the time the postmortem was done.
Findings from Mutumwa’s body indicated that he may have fought for his life, owing to injuries sustained on the arms and wrists while trying to defend himself.
For Mwau’s body, even though it appeared very decomposed, multiple injuries were recorded on his lower body as well as his neck, indicating that the assailants were intending to eliminate him.
Photo of the Nairobi City Mortuary. /NATION MEDIA GROUP
“For the first body (Mutumwa), there were multiple abdominal, chest, and head injuries and we also have what we call defence injuries on the arms. It looks like there was a struggle because when you try to defend yourself, you will get what we call defence injuries on the arms and the wrists,” explained Njoroge.
“The second body (Mwau) was very decomposed. The main findings were a scalp or head injury. He also had posterior abdominal wall and thoracic injuries. Again, it was multiple injuries. The other main finding on the second body was injuries in the strap muscles of the neck. So we came to the conclusion that the cause of death of the second body was manual neck compression.”
The duo from the Mlolongo Four were found dead on Thursday, January 30, just three hours after Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja and Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Mohammed Amin appeared in court to address their whereabouts.
According to his family’s lawyer, Dan Maanzo, Mutumwa was discovered dead in Ruai, and his body was taken to City Mortuary in Nairobi. “A quick check of fingerprints has confirmed that it is him,” Maanzo told the media.
The family stated that his body was retrieved from Ruai and transported to the mortuary on December 18, 2024, only two days after his disappearance.
Meanwhile, Mwau was found dead at the Nairobi Funeral Home, previously called City Mortuary. Reports revealed that Martin, who had been missing for 44 days, disappeared on December 17, raising further questions about his disappearance.
The four men from Mlolongo, Machakos County—Justus Mutumwa, Martin Mwau, Karani Mwema, and Stephen Mbisi Kavingu—went missing on December 16 and 17, 2024. They were reportedly picked up by masked individuals believed to be police officers.
These developments raised concerns from the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), with its president, Faith Odhiambo, demanding that Kanja and Amin explain who was responsible for the abductions and killings of Kenyans.
“The day that the court issues orders demanding the presence of the men, then three bodies miraculously appear, and they are able to identify one. The ball is still in your court, the responsibility is with the National Police Service. We are asking you to tell us what is going on in this country,” she mentioned.
The National Police Service (NPS) insisted that it had no involvement in the alleged abduction of the four men and was only engaged in investigating the case.
After a prolonged legal battle, Inspector General Kanja and DCI Chief Amin, while responding to court summons, denied detaining the four individuals and asserted that the police played no role in their disappearance.
(Left to Right) General Service Unit Commandant Ranson Lolmodooni, DCI Director Amin Mohammed and Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja during a press briefing in Nairobi on December 4 at Harambee house. /MINISTRY OF INTERIOR