The wife of Geoffrey Otieno Okuto, a bodyguard, accused of murder in the death of a Malindi voter, did not die by suicide as alleged.
Earlier reports indicated that the woman, Judy Okuto, passed away on Monday, November 7, under unclear circumstances.
Speaking to Kenyans.co.ke, Nancy Owino, the deceased's niece, alleged that her aunt succumbed to high blood pressure - a disease she battled for a long time.
"We cannot pinpoint the exact thing that made her blood pressure shoot," Owino indicated, claiming that "her head nerves burst."
"A postmortem was done on Tuesday, November 8, revealing that she had died of a stroke caused by high blood pressure," Owino confirmed.
The family lamented how their kin's death was dragged online, with bloggers claiming that she took her own life.
"I know this is what gives you money, but kindly this is my aunt you are talking about, and whatever thing you are alleging is not true," Owino responded to online reports.
She urged critics to desist from hurting the family more and allow them to privately mourn their loved one.
"I don't know where people got the story about my aunt committing suicide or how she committed suicide," she lamented.
Judy is survived by two daughters. Her husband, Geoffrey Otieno Okuto, was a bodyguard to Public Service CS, Aisha Jumwa in her tenure as Malindi MP.
The new development came days after Jumwa wrote to the Director of Public Prosecution seeking to withdraw herself from the 2019 murder case.
Jumwa and Okuto were accused of the death of Ngumbao Jola, who was shot after chaos erupted during the Ganda Ward by-elections.
