Revealed: Bullet killed man in Kisumu in anti-IEBC demo

Mary Awuor mourns her late husband Fredrick Otieno. Her husband died during an anti-IEBC demonstration in Kisumu town. (PHOTO: COLLINS ODUOR/ STANDARD)

KENYA: The man who died during the Kisumu demonstrations, may have been killed by police contrary to claims he fell and hit his head on a shop pavement.

The autopsy report shows   the late Fredrick Ojwang’  may have been shot from his left arm with the bullet entering his body and rupturing his vital organs.

The Postmortem done at Aga Khan Hospital mortuary in Kisumu on Thursday revealed that he died from gunshot wounds as a bullet was found lodged in his chest.

Police spokesman Charles Owino had said  that the late Ojwang was  never shot  by  security officials  and explained  that he  did  after falling and hitting head on a shop;s  pavement.

On Friday the Aga Khan Hospital Medical Director Dr Sam Oula told The Standard that indeed the autopsy confirmed that Ojwang was shot.

"The reports we have is that Ojwang was shot as a bullet was found lodged in his chest," said Oula.

Dr Ambrose Misore, who witnessed the autopsy as family doctor also gave the same account.

"He was shot through the left arm and the bullet tore through the lungs, damaging several vessels," he said.

He was among three people killed  by police during the demonstrations  to demand  the  restructuring of  the Independent  Electoral  and  Boundaries Commission (IEBC).  Two others died in Siaya.

The late  Ojwang is  survived  by a wife Mary Awuor  and two  daughters aged 10 and 8. The two girls are primary school in Kisumu.

Before the autopsy Awuor had told journalists, amid tears, that she wanted to see justice done. she said she wanted whoever had caused her husband's premature demise to be apprehended.

"I have been to the Human Rights groups to express my concern over the circumstances under which my husband died. I have rent to pay, upkeep and school fees for my children yet I am not employed," she told The Standard.

It is because of the controversy surrounding Ojwang's death that the family lined up a private doctor to carry out a postmortem examination alongside the Government pathologist to ascertain the real cause of death.
Awuor identified her husband's body on Tuesday afternoon, hours after the 'unidentified' body was taken to the Aga Khan Hospital mortuary.