A government pathologist working for the Embu County Government, based at Embu Level Five Hospital, has ruled out the possible cause of the Kianjokoma brothers’ deaths, as reported, that they died after jumping off a moving police vehicle.
Benson Njiru Ndwiga and Emmanuel Mutura Ndwiga, famously known as the Kianjokoma brothers, met their death on August 1, 2021, at Kianjokoma Trading Centre while they were heading home at the height of curfew enforcement.
According to reports made, it indicated that after the arrest, Emmanuel and Benson were believed to have jumped out of a moving vehicle while under arrest by police officers.
Tendering her testimony before Milimani Lady Justice Margaret Muigai on Wednesday, September 24, 2025, the pathologist said the autopsy results indicate that the cause of death of the two brothers was severe head injuries.
Further, the pathologist noted that according to their findings, the severe head injuries led to blunt force trauma.
Visible external injuries
Notably, the pathologist stated that the two had visible external injuries that included bruised faces and arms, and their heads were deformed.
“He had injuries. The head was deformed, there were extensive bruises on the face, and he had bruises on the left and right arms,” the pathologist told the court.
“There were multiple skull fractures, upper and lower jaw fractures, and the brain had multiple lacerations.”
Further, she noted that the injuries are not consistent with the history of having fallen from a moving vehicle.
Asked to tell the court why she says so, the pathologist noted that it is because of the global nature of the injury, noting that for Emmanuel, he had fractures everywhere in the entire skull, including the face.
“When you fall from a moving vehicle, first of all, you will have even fractures where you are landing, the limb fractures, and then you land on one point; you will not land on every part of your head, so according to our investigations, it was not tied to the issue that was provided,” the pathologist told the court.
The pathologist further revealed that when she reported to work, the cases had been booked as road traffic accidents.
Six police officers, including Benson Mputhia, Consolata Kariuki, Nicholas Cheruiyot, Martin Wanyama, Lilian Chemuna, and James Mwaniki, were charged with their murder.
