Saturday, May 30, 2026 - A grieving family from Mumias East, Kakamega County, is demanding answers over the mysterious death of Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) officer, Bonface Olando Eshirera, who was serving under the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
According to the family, Bonface, who was attached to the 31
Mechanised Infantry Battalion (31MIB) based in Eldoret/Lodwar, was initially
reported to have taken his own life using a rifle while deployed in Congo.
However, relatives say several inconsistencies surrounding
the incident have raised serious suspicion and fueled fears of a possible
cover-up.
The family claims that from the onset, there was resistance
from the Kenyan contingent in Congo regarding the handling of the body and the
postmortem process.
They allege that there were attempts to have the postmortem
conducted in Uganda instead of Kenya before the body was eventually flown back
home over the weekend and an examination carried out on Monday at Memorial
Hospital in Nairobi.
According to the family, the postmortem findings
contradicted the suicide narrative.
They claim the examination revealed a gunshot wound entering
from the back near the spinal area and exiting through the stomach, findings
they believe are inconsistent with suicide.
The family now suspects foul play and alleges that senior
military officers in Congo could be shielding those responsible instead of
facilitating independent investigations.
They are calling on the Ministry of Defence and the
Principal Secretary for Defence to intervene and ensure transparent
investigations are conducted.
The family further fears that if the death is officially
classified as suicide, the late officer’s benefits accumulated during his more
than 22 years of service could be affected.
Bonface’s relatives say they are determined to pursue justice and accountability, insisting that those responsible should be brought back to Kenya to face investigations rather than remain protected in the DRC.
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