Suspects in Mwatha murder case appear in court

Caroline Mwatha, whose body was found by police at City Mortuary after disappearance. [Photo: Courtesy]

Four suspects in the murder of activist Caroline Mwatha were on Wednesday arraigned at the Milimani Law Courts to face murder charges.

Michael Onyonka Onchiri, Betty Akinyi Nyanya, Alexander Gitau Gikonya and Richard Ramoya, did not take pleas since they had no advocate to represent them as required by the law.

The suspects also had not undergone mental assessments to prove that they were fit to stand trial.

Appearing before Justice Stella Mutuku, the four were accused of, if not causing the death of Carol Mwatha, her murder in Dandora, Nairobi county.

The court ordered the four to appear before it again on Monday March 4, 2019, after the mental assessment. Justice Stella also directed the four to be given legal representation.

Caroline Mwatha was reported missing on February 6, prompting Amnesty International to raise the alarm over her disappearance. The case was reported at Buruburu Police Station on February 8 2019.

Mwatha's body was dumped at City Mortuary. An autopsy would reveal  the cause of her death as excessive bleeding caused by a raptured uterus during an abortion.

According to AFP, an owner of the clinic, and a doctor, later came forward and admitted that "they took the body to the mortuary and booked her under a different name and indicated she died of diarrhea".?

Four suspects in the murder of activist Carol Mwatha were on Wednesday arraigned at the Milimani Law Courts to face murder charges.

Michael Onyonka Onchiri, Betty Akinyi Nyanya, Alexander Gitau Gikonya and Richard Ramoya, did not take pleas since they had no advocate to represent them as required by the law.

The suspects also had not undergone mental assessments to prove that they were fit to stand trial.

Appearing before Justice Stella Mutuku, the four were accused of, if not causing,murdered Carol Mwatha in Dandora, Nairobi county.

The court ordered the four to appear before it again on Monday March 4, 2019, after the mental assessment. Justice Stella also directed the four to be given legal representation.

Caroline Mwatha was reported missing on February 6, prompting Amnesty International to raise the alarm over her disappearance. The case was reported at Buruburu Police Station on February 8 2019.

Mwatha's body was dumped at City Mortuary. An autopsy would reveal  the cause of her death as excessive bleeding caused by a raptured uterus during an abortion.

According to AFP, an owner of the clinic, and a doctor, later came forward and admitted that "they took the body to the mortuary and booked her under a different name and indicated she died of diarrhea".?