The recent death of Raphael Ojiambo, a police trainee in Tanzania, has raised concerns about the police's tendency to label suspicious deaths as suicides. Ojiambo was shot dead by a fellow constable at a police training camp in Tseikuru, and an initial police account suggested suicide. However, a pathologist's assessment of Ojiambo's gunshot wound later demolished the suicide theory. This incident is not an isolated case, as similar instances of police misinformation have been reported in neighboring Kenya.
In Kenya, the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (Ipoa) has investigated several cases of police misconduct, including the death of Albert Ojwang in police custody last year. Police initially claimed that Ojwang had repeatedly hit his head against a cell wall, but a post-mortem examination found head injuries, neck compression, and multiple bruises consistent with assault. Ipoa established that Ojwang had died inside Central Police Station, not at the hospital as initially reported.
The police's habit of providing premature and seemingly conclusive explanations for deaths can stigmatize the dead, make a family's grief heavier, and divert attention from other possible explanations. It can also shield those responsible, whether or not the police were involved. In some cases, police have readily acknowledged that the circumstances of death are unknown and investigations are continuing, but this is not always the case.
A Reuters investigation into deaths during Kenya's 2024 protests found discrepancies between police morgue records and post-mortem findings. Charles Owino and Shaquille Obienge were recorded as accident victims, although post-mortem examinations found gunshot wounds. Other deaths were recorded as "mob justice" or drowning, despite evidence and witness accounts contradicting those classifications. Such descriptions are sometimes used to conceal deaths caused by police.
Kenya's history is replete with examples of official accounts that do not stand up under scrutiny. The disappearance of JM Kariuki in 1975 and the death of Foreign Affairs minister Robert Ouko in 1990 are notable cases where initial police accounts were later disputed. In both cases, security officials were heavily implicated. Bereaved families who doubt the official account often have to raise money for an independent pathologist, a second post-mortem, lawyers, and other experts to pursue the truth.
The Internal Affairs Unit and Ipoa have a role in examining how initial accounts were formed, who authorized their release, and whether officers acted negligently or deliberately misled the public. However, the public may not always get to know the outcome of these investigations or whether anyone was held accountable. Police investigations depend on public confidence, and when an official account falls apart, the next one is harder to believe, even when it is accurate.
The Maraga Taskforce found that police officers often encounter difficult scenes, which can desensitize them. However, professional distance is no excuse for indifference or bare-faced lying. Raphael Ojiambo's family should not have to spend money to discover the truth about his death or defend his name against an account unsupported by evidence. The official investigation should establish what happened at Tseikuru and who was responsible, and deliver accountability for the first instance of disinformation.
Key points
- Police forces in East Africa are facing scrutiny over their handling of suspicious deaths, with allegations of misinformation and cover-ups.
- The police's tendency to label suspicious deaths as suicides has raised concerns about cover-ups and the need for accountability.
- Bereaved families often have to raise money for an independent pathologist and lawyers to pursue the truth, as the state may not provide adequate support.
