The family of a surgeon from Embu whose body had gone missing from mortuary after it was secretly taken away by his wife to an unknown destination without their knowledge continues to endure more pain and frustrations in conducting a second postmortem to determine the cause of death.
Dr. Naftaly Munene Njeru, 41, from Munyutu village in Runyenjes Embu died on February 8 in an alleged road accident in Subukia, Nakuru County when his vehicle veered off the road and hit a culvert while on a night-out partying trip with his wife Jane Wangui.
However, his family read foul play in the circumstances surrounding his death questioning why his wife decided to take her ailing husband out for trip at night from Embu Town where they were residing all the way to Nakuru County.
By the time his family arrived in Nyahururu to view his body hours after his death, they found that his wife had already organized his postmortem and despite their refusal, she went ahead with the procedure.
Despite securing a court order from the Embu High Court, their attempt to proceed with the autopsy at Embu Level 5 Hospital on Friday was blocked, with the hospital demanding the presence of a Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) officer.
The family was informed that only a DCI officer from Subukia where the doctor allegedly died in an accident could authorize the procedure.
The controversy surrounding Dr. Munene’s death deepened when his body initially went missing after his wife moved it from Gakwegori Mortuary in Embu Town where it was preserved awaiting a second postmortem.
His body was later recovered from a private mortuary in Chuka following a court order.
The family now fears that the wife may be trying to conceal crucial evidence, noting that the body has started decomposing.
“We feel what is happening is a cover up plot by his wife so that the cause of his death remains just as mere accident that we highly doubt,” said his mother Esther Wanja.
With the body still lying at Embu Level 5 Hospital pending a court hearing today Monday March 17, the family is now appealing to Governor Cecily Mbarire and Runyenjes MP Erick Muchangi Karemba to intervene and help them uncover the truth so they could finally lay their son to rest.
The sudden death of the Consultant, formerly of Kirinyaga Level 5 Hospital has left his family in disarray, disrupting funeral arrangements at his parent’s home.
By Samuel Waititu
