Trans Nzoia: A postmortem report has finally shed some light on what led to the death of Samson Ouma Wanda. A postmortem was conducted on the body of Ouma (right) in presence of his family and activists. Ouma had been remanded at the Kitale Police Station in Trans Nzoia county for 14 days before his death while still in police custody. Police had denied reported that he died in the cells. What caused Samson Ouma Wanda’s death? According to the results of a postmortem done on Ouma’s body at the Kijana Wamalwa Teaching and Referral Hospital on Tuesday, September 23, he died from severe infection caused by injuries inflicted on his left arm that led to blood clotting. “Both the upper and lower limbs had some injuries and you know injuries have to be inflicted by somebody. Another thing is that he had a markedly swollen left upper limb. On dissecting it, it had a lot of fluids that showed it had a very bad infection,” said Walter Nalianya, a pathologist working with the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital who conducted the postmortem.
“On dissecting the body, he had pulmonary thromboembolism that is blood clotting within the blood vessels that carry blood from the heart to the lungs,” he added. The pathologist further noted that the infection was about five months old, indicating that the injuries might have been inflicted on the deceased while he was in remand. Family and friends were at the hospital during the release of the postmortem results. Margaret Anyango, the mother of the 36-year-old father of two children, said the death of her son was a big blow to her and his young family. “Mimi serikali wanipatie tu mtoto wangu jameni juu alitoka akiwa mzima. Mimi nilijua mtoto yangu ameenda cell atakuja, sikujua atakuja na jeneza (The government should give me my child because he left home in good health. I knew my son would go and come back, but I did not know he would come back in a coffin), why did he kill him like a dog?” Anyango said weeping uncontrollably. Samson Ouma’s mother Margaret Adhiambo speaking to the press at Wamalwa Kijana Teaching and Referral Hospital morgue in Kitale on September 23, 2025.
The postmortem was witnessed by officers from the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), the Independent Medico-Legal Unit (IMLU), Vocal Africa, and representatives from the security agencies. Who is responsible for Samson Ouma Wanda’s death? Speaking on behalf of the various organizations, Fredrick Ojiro, an emergencies officer at Vocal Africa said the leadership of Kitale Main Prison and Kitale Police Station should be held responsible for the death. READ ALSO Dennis Kasyoki: Influencer shares unfulfilled plans she had with late tycoon on his last day “It is clear that the injuries were as a result of assault. Even after being assaulted by the police, the prisons department did not give him the much-needed medical attention that led to serious infection and his untimely death. Are our police stations and prisons safe?” Ojiro asked. Ouma was arrested on Sunday, September 7, at Kitale bus park following a police operation. He spent his night at Kitale Police Station cell, arraigned the following day before he was taken to Kitale Main Prison remand on September 9. He reportedly died on September 16.
By Joshua Cheloti, Emanuel Tarus
