• Injuries on the back inflicted by a blunt object were the cause of death.
• There was no evidence Gitahi had asthma as alleged by prison.
Image: GEORGE MURAGE
An inmate who died in Naivasha GK Prison was beaten to death by warders, the postmortem shows.
The report on 36-year-old Simon Nduro Gitahi leaves the warders in an awkward situation after alleging he died from asthma.
Government pathologist Titus Ngulungu who conducted the postmortem said injuries on the back inflicted by a blunt object were the cause of death.
The pathologist said the inmate had bruises on the lower back, hips, hands and neck inflicted by a blunt object.
The report further indicated the deceased's liver and lungs collapsed due to complications brought about by the injuries.
There was no evidence Gitahi had asthma.
The deceased's father David Gitahi Nduro said the family will be going to court to seek justice over the loss of his son.
He said his fears had been proven right, adding that the Prisons Department had taken him in circles since the death occurred.
“I thank the pathologist who was very open and candid as he has revealed that my son was killed through beating,” he said.
On Saturday last week, the body of Nduro was brought to Naivasha subcounty hospital mortuary after he died in prison.
Fellow inmates who managed to pass the information to parents alleged that he had been beaten by eight warders, an allegation the prison has denied.
Addressing the press at hospital’s mortuary, Kenya National Commission on Human Rights Central regional coordinator Ruth Getobae said that they witnessed the postmortem.
She said that the pathologist was very clear that the inmate was not suffering from asthma as alleged by the prison.
“The pathologist was clear that the injuries which led to the death of Nduro were caused by a blunt object mainly to the back,” she said.
She added that they would be visiting the prison to collect more information over the incident before releasing their report in two weeks.
“We are headed to the prison to see the medical reports which claim that the inmate was suffering from asthma as part of our investigations,” she said.
Mary Njeri mother to the inmate said her son had been the sole supporter of the family before he was unfairly jailed.
“I leave everything to God but it is very painful to first lose your son by been jailed and later being killed by people who were supposed to reform him,” she said.