Families of June 25 demos victims’ protests over delay in conducting autopsies

Families of youths shot dead during the June 25 Gen Z anniversary protests have expressed their frustrations over the failure of the government pathologist to conduct autopsies on the bodies of their kins to allow for burials.

Addressing the press outside the Nairobi Funeral Home, the families have stated that the government pathologist has expressed security concerns as his reasons for the delay in conducting the long-awaited autopsies.

They claimed they were being taken round in circles at the morgue with the facility blaming Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), which is investigating the killings, for the delay.

“We have been here since Sunday, and they told us the post-mortem would be conducted today. They had told us it would be conducted yesterday, but they postponed it to today,” a mother of one of the victims explained to the media.

She said that the pathologist had been instructed to conduct autopsies on two bodies but stated that he was awaiting the complete file from IPOA.

“We arrived very early, but the doctor said he had only been directed to carry out the post-mortem on two bodies, saying that they are still waiting for IPOA to complete our files. The IPOA has said that the autopsies are supposed to be currently ongoing.”

This is despite IPOA reportedly directing that the autopsies be conducted on all bodies.

The families are now seeking answers on the delays, which have delayed not only investigations into the deaths but also the release of the bodies to their families.

This is even as nineteen fatalities have so far been reported by the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR).

A total 531 injuries, 15 enforced disappearances, 179 arrests and an undetermined number of cases of sexual violence were reported during the protests.

This is against the backdrop of none of the officers involved in the brutal murders being held accountable by IPOA.