University student charged with impersonating IG Boinnet dead By Cyrus Ombati

A university student charged with impersonating Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinnet died in custody in disputed circumstances. 

John Cheboiwo (pictured), who was also accused of impersonating former Director of Criminal Investigations Ndegwa Muhoro on Facebook, died on June 16. Students arrested while baking ‘weed cakes’ Prison authorities claimed Cheboiwo fell ill at the Industrial Area remand prison, and later died at the Kenyatta National Hospital.  But his family claims he was brutally beaten by a warder on claims of having contraband items in remand. 

Contradictory findings 

Two postmortem reports have given contradictory findings. Avoid fake news! Subscribe to the Standard SMS service and receive factual, verified breaking news as it happens. Text the word 'NEWS' to 22840 One postmortem done by the authorities at the City Mortuary did not reveal the cause of death. Government pathologist Dorothy Njeru reported the cause of the death as “not known and further toxicological tests were needed”, according to Prisons Commissioner General Isaiah Osugo.  

Authorities have claimed the Kenyatta University Computer Science student might have swallowed poison. But his family said a second postmortem they commissioned reported contradictory findings. According to his mother, Jane Anyango, an autopsy done by Chief Government Pathologist Johansen Oduor at the Chiromo Mortuary showed Cheboiwo had a head injury, a twisted neck suggesting strangulation and an injury on his hand. 

“The postmortem our pathologist conducted contradicted what we were told at the City Mortuary. My son may have been strangled,” Ms Anyango claimed. She claimed they were informed, without revealing the source of the information, her son had been strangled and beaten up by a warder after he was found with a SIM card in remand.  

Anyango explained she was called to Industrial Area on June 17 and informed Kibowen had died at the hospital after falling ill. She said the authorities claimed her son had fallen ill the previous day, and was rushed to Kenyatta National Hospital where he died. “We want to know more on what happened,” said Anyango. 

False account 

But Osugo said the victim was taken to hospital last Saturday after falling ill and died while undergoing treatment. “The pathologist report shows the cause of death is unknown and we need further tests on the body. There was nothing like strangulation,” said Osugo. Kibowen had been charged with impersonating Boinnet and Muhoro on June 22, 2016. 

The prosecution said the student opened a false Facebook account in the name of Mr Muhoro, and defrauded unsuspecting Kenyans of over Sh500,000. He is alleged to have pretended he would fast-track investigations on their cases.  

He was remanded at Industrial Area on May 8 this year after he jumped bail. He was released on bail in June 2016. “He arrived in court late and was later arrested and held for two weeks after which the court agreed to release him on a Sh50,000 cash bail that I was to pay on Monday preceding the weekend he died. I’m distraught,” said Anyango.