Kenya Forest Service (KFS) Legal Services Manager Esther Wairimu Keige.
Kenya Forest Service (KFS) manager for legal services Esther Wairimu Keige is believed by detectives to have died from starvation and depression, even as a postmortem failed to establish the cause of her death.
Government pathologist Johansen Oduor said the cause of death could not be determined because the body was in an advanced state of decomposition.
Speaking after the postmortem at the Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital (KUTRRH), Oduor said no visible injuries were found on the body, but samples had been collected for toxicological analysis to help determine what led to the 54-year-old's death.
"We didn't find any injuries on the body, but we have taken samples for further analysis at the government chemist. So, the cause of death was not conclusive," Oduor said.
The findings came a day after the search for the missing KFS official ended when her body was discovered at an isolated coffee plantation in Area 4 near Karimenu in Juja, Kiambu County.
Keige had been missing since June 10, 2026, after leaving her office along Kiambu Road. Her disappearance sparked widespread concern, with speculation on social media linking her case to her role in handling public forest land disputes.
Police said they believe she died from depression and starvation, although investigations are ongoing.
Her mobile phone was recovered next to the body.
Juja Subcounty Police Commander Isaac Kombo said investigators found the body intact but in an advanced state of decomposition. Two family members later identified the remains at the scene.
Police said pupils at a nearby primary school told investigators they had recently seen Keige seeking help to get food before her body was discovered.
The development follows earlier revelations by relatives that Keige had been battling a severe medical condition and major depression in the period leading up to her disappearance.
Police have since begun recording statements from family members to establish her state of mind and reconstruct the events leading up to her death.
Investigators said all possible angles remain open as they await toxicology and other laboratory results from the Government Chemist, which are expected to provide further insight into the circumstances surrounding her death.
The family said they were not ready to discuss the matter.
Law Society of Kenya (LSK) president Charles Kanjama said Keige's death "amounts to attacks on the legal profession and threaten the security of all advocates."
He called for the formation of a multi-agency investigative team, comprising the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and other agencies, to investigate the matter.
LSK also called for a comprehensive forensic audit of all contested land acquisition and alienation matters handled by the KFS legal department to determine whether Keige's death was connected to her official duties and to identify those involved.
The society also called for "immediate security interventions and institutional protection for advocates serving in public institutions and regulatory bodies whose work exposes them to threats from criminal syndicates, corrupt networks and other unlawful actors."
In the meantime, LSK has announced a nationwide advocates' march for justice on Friday to honour what it described as its slain colleagues.
Participants will assemble at the Milimani Law Courts in Nairobi from 9am. They have been requested to dress formally and wear a purple ribbon.
"The society calls upon every advocate, judicial officer, law student and every person who believes in justice to stand with the bar on this solemn occasion," LSK said in a statement.
Another lawyer was earlier this week found dead at his compound in Athi River. Police are investigating the case.
