The body of Dandora rights activist Carol Mwatha was booked at City Mortuary on February 6, a day she was alive and took her daughter to school.
Two records at the facility bear details of Carol Mbeki, the name assigned to Mwatha’s body.
According to one of the records seen by the Star, Mbeki was taken to the facility on February 6 at 4.42pm by Grace Ramoya. Mbeki’s age is listed as 27, 10 years younger than Mwatha.
The cause of her death, according to one of the records, is indicated as diarrhea, contrary to the official police narrative and postmortem finding that she died of excessive bleeding.
There had been an abortion under unclear circumstances but it was not known if Mwatha sought it or whether she was murdered.
The date, 6, appears to have been written over an initial date 7. The second record was shown to human rights officials when the body was discovered. It showed the body was taken to the mortuary at 4.42am on February 7, by Grace Ramoya.
The activist, who fought police extrajudical killings in Dandora, is being buried today at Asembo Bay, Rarieda constituency.
Wilfred Olal said the conflicting dates “directly impeach the credibility of the abortion theory”. He is the coordinator of the Dandora Community Justice Centre where Mwatha worked.
Hussein Khalid, Haki Africa executive director, told the Star the conflicting records strengthen their rejection of the abortion theory.
“We have maintained that while the autopsy result showed an attempted abortion, we know the state can do anything to cover their steps. We believe our comrade was murdered,” he said.
Khalid had earlier called for “an independent, thorough, and expedient inquest” to unearth the circumstances that led to her death.
A memorial service was held for the mother of two on Thursday at Uhuru Park’s freedom corner. It was attended by human rights figures, alonside the family and politicians.
It emerged the Catholic Church refused to conduct a Requiem Mass “for [Mwatha] having sought to procure an abortion”.
Speaking at the service, former Supreme Court Chief Justice Willy Mutunga said he rejected the police narrative about an abortion.
“Cops never say the truth,” he said.
“Even if police tell you the truth by accident, don’t believe it,” Mutunga said. “It’s clear the activist was murdered for her stand for the truth.”
Former Justice minister Martha Karua said it is possible the activist “was killed and the obvious action taken by the killer was to scandalise her” and ruin her reputation.