I don’t know about you, but when a press release about Mwatha’s death surfaced, I knew something was a miss. Abortion? Husband in fear of his life? Something was not adding up. So it now turns out that Ms Mwatha had on Tuesday sent a text message to a man believed to have been her lover telling him that she was in pain on one side of her stomach and that she needed to relax. She visited a hospital and updated Alexander (lover) that the doctor had conducted a check on her to establish her condition and the size of the foetus. In an affidavit filed in court on Wednesday, detectives said the suspects’ phone data as well as the clothes Ms Mwatha wore when she died on February 6 will be subjected to forensic analysis.
On Wednesday morning, the day she was reported missing, Ms Mwatha took her child to school before proceeding to a hospital in Dandora called New Njiru Community Centre. While at the centre, she sent Alexander a message at 9.31am, updating him that she had arrived. She then requested him to pray for her. A text mesage from her phone read “Kesho lazima nirauke hossy haki usiku ndio nalemewa mbaya plus homa, but all will be OK (I must go to the hospital very early because I cannot sleep at night. I also have a cold but I will be OK). Police are to conduct an identification parade for six people linked to the death of human rights activist Caroline Mwatha as part of investigations that will take 14 days. The affidavit presented in court by lead investigator Chief Inspector Joseph Wanjohi further states that murder weapons used by the suspects will be analysed.
On Tuesday, police claimed that Ms Mwatha died while procuring an abortion at a clinic in Dandora, but the affidavit presented before the Makadara court does not mention the cause of her death. Through a statement, Director of Criminal Investigations George Kinoti said the suspects were arrested over the deceased’s alleged botched abortion and disposal of her body, which was found at City Mortuary on Tuesday after six days.
The court allowed police to detain Mr Michael Onchiri, Ms Betty Akinyi, Mr Richard Ramoya Abudo, Mr Georgia Achieng, Mr Alexander Gitau Gikonya and Mr Stephen Maina for 14 days citing their own safety as investigations continue. Mr Wanjohi said the murder of Ms Mwatha has elicited immense public interest and the suspects should be held in police custody for their own good.
Police also found texts from her husband, Joshua Ochieng Oyucho, which indicated that he was slated to travel to Kenya from Dubai over the weekend. The Directorate of Criminal Investigations then obtained call data that showed she had told at least three people the female friend, the boyfriend and a doctor that she would be getting rid of the pregnancy on Tuesday.