NAIROBI, Kenya- The discovery of Silvester Peter Mwenda’s body at the Nyambene Level 4 Hospital morgue has raised questions and suspicions, with his family alleging he was murdered after being taken from his home by men posing as detectives.
Family Alleges Police Involvement
Mwenda’s wife, Gloria Gatwiri, said her husband was taken from their home on Friday night by men who identified themselves as Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) officers from Maua Police Station. She claimed the men beat him, seized his vehicle, and also arrested a National Police Reserve (NPR) officer who was his friend.
“They were beating him, and as they were leaving, they took three goats with them,” Gatwiri recounted. She added that she later saw Mwenda with the officers, but when she went to court on Monday to follow up on the case, only the NPR officer was present. The family eventually found Mwenda’s lifeless body at the hospital morgue after searching several police stations in vain.
Police Dispute Allegations
The National Police Service has disputed the family’s account, saying Mwenda died from injuries sustained during a mob justice incident. Meru County Criminal Investigating Officer Abednego Kavoo said Mwenda was a robbery suspect who had assisted police in arresting another suspect with G3 and AK-47 rifles.
“In that operation, there was a lot of mix-up between members of the public and the police. The angry mob had raised some issues, and so they started attacking the suspect, and unfortunately, they somehow injured the deceased,” Kavoo explained. He added that police arrived too late to intervene.
Questions Remain
The conflicting accounts have left the family demanding answers, while police maintain Mwenda’s death was the result of mob violence rather than police misconduct. Investigations are expected to continue as authorities seek to clarify the circumstances surrounding the incident.
