Caroline Mwatha’s body was found at the City Mortuary after two key suspects provided clues/COURTESY AMNESTY
NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 12 – The activist from Dandora who has been missing since last week has been found dead, in what police believe was a botched abortion.
Caroline Mwatha’s body was found at the City Mortuary after key suspects – a clinic owner and doctor – provided clues during interrogation.
DCI George Kinoti Tuesday night indicated that a total of six people were in custody over the death.
The six include the owner of the clinic she went for the abortion, the clinic owner’s son, Mwatha’s boyfriend, a doctor, Uber driver Stephen Maina and another suspect identified as Georgia Achieng’ Tabitha.
A statement signed by Kinoti said investigations showed that there was communication on an intended abortion on a five-month old pregnancy between Mwatha and her boyfriend, Alexander Gitau Gikonyo, who is based in Isiolo.
“It was further established that an unidentified doctor had demanded a fee of Sh7,000 and after negotiations the cost was reduced to Sh6,000 which was sent by Alexander.”
On February 6, Mwatha went to a clinic known as New Njiru Community Centre within Dandora Phase I.
“It is believed that an abortion procedure was procured by the owner of the clinic.”
The owner of the clinic was identified as Betty Akinyi Nyaya alias Betty Ramoya and the ‘doctor’ is Michael Onchiri alias Dr Mike.
Investigators believe that Mwatha died in the clinic and the body was transferred to the City Mortuary on February 7 at 4.42am.
“This is confirmed by records at the mortuary even though the deceased was captured as Carol Mbeki.”
The cause of death at the mortuary records was indicated to be diarrhoea.
Abortion is illegal in Kenya unless the mother or baby’s health is in danger but statistics indicate that as many as 400,000 women procure abortions every year.
Capital FM News has established that Mwatha’s husband who works in Dubai has also been questioned.
The mother of two was last seen on February 6 walking alone to her house, according to witnesses interviewed by Capital FM News.
READ: Activist’s phone was used three days after she went missing
Three days after she went missing, someone used her phone to call her husband in Dubai, but he did not answer.
Police on Tuesday said they established that her phone was used but a different line was inserted for the call.
There had been speculation that Mwatha’s disappearance was linked to her work of speaking out against police brutality as extra judicial killings, mainly in Dandora and other slum areas in the Kenyan capital.
“That cannot be the case,” the Police Spokesman said, “a post-mortem will be conducted on her body but from information gathered so far by the investigators, the probable cause of her death is known.”
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