Preliminary autopsy fails to reveal cause of Fidel Odinga’s death

The Late Fidel Odinga

NAIROBI: Kenyans will wait longer to know what caused the death of Opposition leader Raila Odinga’s first-born, Fidel, after a day-long postmortem exam Tuesday failed to yield conclusive finding, paving way for further and more complex scientific tests. The inconclusive results after examination of Fidel’s body by government and family pathologists at Lee Funeral Home from 7.30am to7pm, when a briefing was made, will prolong the agony of family and friends. Both parties agreed to resort to intensive laboratory analyses of samples taken to determine the cause of death and since it was unclear how long that would take, there is a possibility that Fidel, whose burial is scheduled on Saturday, could be laid to rest before it is known what killed him. The postmortem was done by Dr DorothyNjeru, the lead government pathologist, in collaboration with family pathologists Dr Emily Rogena and Dr Bessie Byakika. The Chief Government Pathologist Johannsen Oduor supervised the exercise. "We carried out the postmortem in two parts: body examination and body dissection. However we were unable to come up with the cause of death. We will now proceed to laboratory analysis to try and analyse the samples collected and the process begins now. Once we conclude we will give a comprehensive report," Dr Njeru explained. Rogena added: "We are in complete agreement with my colleague that it was completely impossible to determine the cause of death.

The Late Fidel Odinga with Wife & Son

We undertook an examination of several samples collected." Rogena explained they had carried out toxicology and histology examinations but could not determine the cause of death. "We call this examination toxicology and histology in the scientific language. We have taken a number of samples to establish cause of death. As of now, we have agreed nothing tangible was found to explain cause of death," added Dr Rogena. Senator James Orengo (Siaya), who was present throughout the autopsy, said it was a tedious process, which lasted the whole day. "This process started at 7.30am and has just been concluded now," said Orengo, who spoke to the media at Lee Funeral Home at around 7pm. He continued: "Chief government pathologist Johannes Oduor was present and we have decided that the pathologist themselves inform Kenyans on the postmortem process." Toxicology is a test on the adverse effects of chemicals on living organisms. It also studies the harmful effects of chemical, biological and physical agents in biological systems that establishes the extent of damage in living organisms. Histology is the study of the microscopic anatomy of cells. Accurate diagnosis of diseases usually requires histopathological examination of cells. Meanwhile, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has designated six senior prosecutors to guide police investigating the death of the former Prime Minister's son who was subject of speculation he would launch his bid to be the heir of his father's political garb by running for a parliamentary seat in 2017.