Josephine Wambui, Paul Gicheru's mother, halted the post-mortem examination after issuing fresh demands regarding her son's mysterious death.
Wambui, who had travelled from Eldoret to Nairobi on Thursday, September 29, directed the government pathologists tasked with conducting a forensic analysis to wait for all the deceased's children to arrive prior to the exercise's commencement.
The aggrieved mother argued that all the deceased lawyer's children who were out of the country needed to be present before pathologists conduct the post-mortem examinations to determine what caused his sudden demise.
Gicheru's 20-year-old son is reportedly still admitted after collapsing on Monday, September 26.
Wambui had earlier read malice in Gicheru's death, asking the government to expedite the probe to establish how the lawyer died. According to their last phone conversation, Gicheru was full of life and did not raise any alert regarding his health.
"It is not easy for someone to just collapse and die. Police must probe what happened because my son never complained. He was not sick.," she maintained.
"I spoke to him last Friday and he told me he was doing okay. He then asked me if my other siblings and myself visit our elderly mother and I told him we do. He was very soft-spoken; he only cared about his family," Gicheru's sister, Ruth Njoroge, added.
However, the latest reports indicated that a team of pathologists and homicide detectives involved in the post-mortem examination of the body of lawyer Gicheru met on Friday, September 30.
By the time of this publication, family, police and lawyers arrived at the Lee Funeral Home for the planned autopsy.
On the other hand, the International Criminal Court indicated that it was ready to close the file on witness interference once the government confirms the death.
Court spokesperson and head of the Public Affairs Unit Fadi El Abdallah maintained that the government's communication will inform the next course of action.
"Confirmation of death is for the national authorities. According to the ICC legal framework, jurisdiction cannot be exercised over a deceased person. Upon receiving confirmation of an accused’s death, the ICC Chamber would then issue a decision to close the case.
"The time necessary for that purpose depends on the receipt of the confirmation or evidence on his death. The court is in contact with the national authorities in relation to this matter," Abdallah stated.
Gicheru was on trial at the ICC on allegations of witness interference. His case had entered its final stages and awaiting judgement following the closing statements by the prosecution and defence on June 27, 2022. The accused had pleaded not guilty to all charges.
"Trial Chamber III will deliberate on the proceedings and, within a reasonable period, pronounce its decision on conviction or acquittal, pursuant to Article 74 of the Rome Statute. The Chamber bases its decision only on the applicable law and on evidence submitted and discussed before it at the trial," the court statement read in part.
