Naomi Murunga, the widow of former Malaba deputy OCS Tobias Murunga, leaves Busia law courts after testifying in a public inquest on Thursday /HILTON OTENYO
A former Malaba deputy OCS who died in a road accident had expressed fears about his safety over challenges he was facing at work just a week before his death, a public inquest has heard.
His nephew, Daniel Mogoria, told the Busia law courts that Tobias Murunga (deceased) had informed family members he was worried about issues involving his superiors.
"We had a family function at home where he sought assistance after issues arose with his superiors. He wanted help in securing a transfer," Mogoria told the court.
Mogoria also questioned why the officer's body had been embalmed before family members were allowed to view it, saying the circumstances raised suspicion.
He told the court that one of the senior police officers in the area said she had facilitated the transfer of the body to LifeCare Mortuary in Bungoma county, paid a Sh3,000 deposit, and arranged for it to be cleaned and embalmed.
Busia chief magistrate Paul Biwott is presiding over the inquest into the death of the officer, who was reported to have died in a road accident on January 2, 2025.
Widow Naomi Murunga testified that by the time she arrived at LifeCare mortuary in Bungoma, her husband's body had already been embalmed.
She said he was still wearing his wedding ring and his spectacles appeared to be intact.
Naomi also raised concerns over exhibits she said were missing from those presented in court.
She told the court that she had handed over her husband's black hooded jacket to police, but it was not among the exhibits produced during the proceedings.
"My husband's wallet and spectacles, which were in a case, are also missing," she said.
Only a cap bearing the URM logo, a pair of blue jeans, a belt, underwear, a white vest and blue socks were produced as exhibits.
The inquest is expected to continue on October 5, 2026, when more witnesses are scheduled to testify on the circumstances surrounding the officer's death.
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions recommended the inquest after police investigations failed to conclusively establish the circumstances surrounding Murunga's death.
