The family of police sharpshooter Caroline Kangogo says she will get a decent burial despite allegations she killed two men before killing herself.
Some experts claim she may have been murdered based on lack of blood spatter, her relaxed position and the fact the gun was still in her hand.
Chief government pathologist Dr Johansen Oduor will perform an autopsy on Tuesday at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital. Then the family will set a fresh date for burial.
The family had already slaughtered cows and used more than Sh400,000 to prepare for her burial on Saturday at Nyawa village near Tambach in Elgeyo Marakwet. It was postponed at the last minute as authorities required an autopsy.
“We have agreed to have the postmortem n Tuesday and then we can plan for her burial," her brother Mark Kangogo said.
He described his sister as outgoing, social and beloved by her family.
“We loved her as a family member and all that has happened is quite unfortunate. We cannot explain because she is dead. All we will do is to give her a decent burial," Mark said.
The body is still at the Iten Hospital morgue.
On Friday Caroline’s father Barnaba Kangogo reacted angrily at the delay for the autopsy, preventing a swift burial.
He shouted he wanted the body for burial right away and relatives had to calm him.
“We have been preparing for the burial and the DCI plus everyone else knew that. We wonder who is delaying the autopsy and why,"Kangogo asked.
Mzee Kangogo and homicide detectives waited for more than eight hours at Iten County Referral Hospital but Dr Oduor did not arrive because he was notified late and could not travel.
Caroline allegedly shot herself dead in a bathroom at her parent's home as she was being sought for killing two people including a police colleague in Nakuru and a businessman.
However, there were claims that the state in which the body was found pointed to the possibility she may have been killed by other people.
Mzee Kangogo, who is a former police officer, said she killed herself.
“Although we have no doubts that she killed herself, we have allowed the government to perform the autopsy," Mark said.
Homicide officers insisted on a postmortem.
Mzee Kangogo said the bathroom where his daughter's body was found had been locked from the inside and there was no way someone could have locked it from from the outside.
“We found the bathroom locked from inside and there was no way someone would put her inside and lock it from outside. She did it herself,
Mzee said at his home in Nyawa village in Elgeyo Marakwet county.
He said he found the boda boda rider who dropped her at home on the night before she was found dead.
“Then rider did not know it was my daughter and said she asked him to drop her near the home," Kangogo said.
He said they did not notice her arrival at night but her mother stumbled on the body when she went for a shower in the bathroom the next morning.
“We wish she were alive to explain exactly happened, including the killing," he said.
Her father said she wanted to be cremated, according to messages in hr phone ,but he said she would be buried.
Circumstances surrounding her death have aroused debate, especially online, as many Kenyans asked if she shot herself dead or was killed by people who stage-managed the death scene.
Elgeyo Marakwet county police commander Patrick Lumumba, who led the team of officers to the scene, said she committed suicide.
Kangogo avoided arrest for almost two weeks only to be found dead at her parents' home a week ago.
Some experts questioned how Kangogo could shoot herself with the gun remaining in her hand while her legs were in a relaxed and there was no blood splash from the bullet exit wound.
Some experts also questioned the confession text messages found in Kangogo’s phone at the scene and said the messages may not have been written by her.
“We do not know anything about the messages because the phone was taken by the police," Mzee Kangogo said.
In the text messages she allegedly blaming her former husband, who is a senior police officer. She said she was frustrated by her family and a senior boss in Nakuru.
The 'suicide note' emerged, hours after her body was found at her parents' home in Elgeyo Marakwet.
The policewoman, a sharpshooter, said she was depressed and accused her husband of philandering and neglecting her an her children.
The message appeared meant for her brother as she asked him and her parents to take care of her children because "their father is too much into women."
Kangogo asked to buried at her parents' home because her husband had 'dumped' her.
Kangogo was a suspect in the killing of two people, including police Constable John Ogweno, in Nakuru on July 5.
She later allegedly shot dead Peter Ndwiga Njiru, 32, in lodging in Juja, Kiambu county.
(Edited by V. Graham)
