Police have raised eyebrows after revealing that it took about 42 days between identifying the body of activist Ibrahim Hilal Mwiti and the family identifying the body. 

In a statement aimed at clarifying the circumstances that led to the death of the 24-year-old activist, the National Police Service (NPS) indicated that Mwiti’s body was discovered on November 12, 2024, past midnight by Juja Traffic Police.  

Police would then begin the process of identifying the body. According to NPS, police took fingerprints and sent them to the National Registration Bureau, which returned the results on November 21, 2024, positively identifying the body as that of Ibrahim Mwiti Mwiti.

However, despite police identifying the body, the family that had reported him missing had begun the process of tracing him. According to the mother, it searched in mortuaries around the capital where he was last seen and expanded to the metro area of Nairobi. 

Their search paid off. The family discovered his body at Thika Level 5 Hospital on January 3. That is over 42 days after police reportedly identified his body. This has resulted in more questions over the handling of the suspected case of abduction.

Police have, however, distanced themselves from the untimely death, dismissing claims of abduction. The police maintained that Mwiti was run over by a hit-and-run vehicle while riding a hired motorcycle at the Spur Mall area along the Thika Super Highway. 

“The body, which had visible head injuries, was later transported and preserved at General Kago Hospital Mortuary as an unknown due to a lack of identification documents at the accident scene, and the motorcycle was secured at the Juja Traffic Office,” NPS further elaborated.

According to the National Police, Mwiti had been reported missing by her mother on November 15 at Kamukunji Police Station and Juja Police Station on November 18.

“Based on our investigations by the DCI, we wish to update the public that Ibrahim Mwiti Mwiti was last seen alive on November 11, 2024, and was reported missing by his mother at Kamukunji Police Station on 15/11/24,” the NPS stated.

The family is said to have sworn an affidavit before Thika Law Courts on January 2, 2025, requesting the waiver of a postmortem examination per her religious belief and subsequently seeking the release of the body, which was granted by the Court.  

The body had been laid to rest at Lang'ata Muslim Cemetery on January 3, 2025. The police further explained that the mother of Mwitia recorded her formal statement with the DCI on January 4, affirming that Ibrahim was not an activist as widely reported.

The family disclosed that before his death, Mwiti, who was active on social media among hundreds of youth, made a living as a delivery man.

In recent months, Kenya has witnessed a troubling rise in alleged abductions, particularly targeting government critics and young protesters. There has been rising pressure on the government to end the forced disappearances and abductions. By Joe Macharia, Kenyans.co.ke