Over two months have passed since the mysterious death of Inspector Walter Nyamato Nyankieya in a Washington DC hotel, and still, key questions remain unanswered, triggering increased scrutiny from the Kenyan National Assembly.
The late Inspector Nyamato, a member of the Kenya Police Service, died on February 13 under unclear circumstances. His body was interred on March 15, yet the autopsy report crucial to unveiling the cause of death has not been released, causing distress and confusion among his family and colleagues.
The National Assembly has amplified its demands for the U.S. authorities to expedite and disclose the autopsy results.
During a parliamentary session on Tuesday, April 16, Minority Leader Opiyo Wandayi expressed discontent with the Ministry's vague responses regarding the officer's assignment in the US.
"Inspector Nyamato was a junior officer by all standards. The country, and least of all his family, deserves full disclosure on what his role was supposed to be in Washington, DC if not Haiti," Wandayi stated, reflecting the deepening mystery surrounding the late officer’s trip.
Questions intensified when Kitutu Masaba MP Clive Ombane probed CS Kindiki through the Departmental Committee on Administration and Internal Security, about the circumstances of Nyamato’s presence in the US and the ongoing delay of the autopsy report. In his responses through the Deputy Chairperson of the Committee, Dido Ali, the ministry stated it was working on getting the autopsy report from their US counterparts.
"The government is still awaiting the autopsy report," responded Retired Col. Dido Ali. "Upon its completion, it will be handed to the family in accordance with Kenyan laws on privacy."
Ombane further questioned the Cabinet Secretary of Interior, Kithure Kindiki, on the expected date for the autopsy report's release, highlighting ongoing frustrations over the lack of transparency.
"The autopsy report will be revealed once received from the U.S.," affirmed Ombane, suggesting the delay is on both the Kenyan and US sides.
Speculation about Nyamato’s intended travel to Haiti has been a focal point of contention, especially given a High Court order that had barred the deployment of Kenya Police Service officers to Haiti.
Col. Dido clarified in his statement on the House floor that Inspector Nyamato was not headed to Haiti as speculated, nor was there any deployment of an advance team to that country.
The US government took control of the investigation, describing it as a matter of government-to-government interest, with results to be communicated through the Kenyan embassy in Washington DC.
This international dimension has only added layers to the already complex and sensitive case.
Inspector Nyamato had a notable career after joining the police service on April 4, 2008, as an Administrative Police Officer.
At the time of his death, he served as the personal assistant to the Deputy Inspector General of Police Noor Gabow and was traveling with nine other officers.
As frustrations grow, Kenyan authorities maintain that they are in constant communication with the Kenyan Embassy in Washington DC, and are committed to relaying information to Nyamato's family as soon as it becomes available.
