British Coroner Rules BBC Employee's Death in Nairobi Hotel a Murder

A British coroner's inquest has officially ruled the death of Kate Mitchell, a BBC project manager, as a murder.

Mitchell, 42, was found dead in her Nairobi hotel room in November 2021. The ruling, made public Tuesday, February 25, comes as Mitchell's family alleges a lack of transparency and stalled investigation by Kenyan authorities. The Newcastle Coroner’s Court heard that an intruder accessed Mitchell’s eighth-floor room at her Nairobi hotel. The intruder was later found dead after either falling or jumping from Mitchell's window.

The circumstances surrounding this death remain unclear. A UK postmortem examination revealed Mitchell died from a head injury and neck compression. Mitchell had relocated to Nairobi from Addis Ababa following an urgent evacuation due to escalating conflict in Ethiopia.

Coroner Karin Welsh says that UK authorities had limited access to information regarding the case. Welsh concludes Mitchell's death was the result of an unlawful killing. Despite the ruling, numerous questions remain unanswered.

Mitchell’s family, led by her brother Paul Mitchell, is advocating for a thorough investigation by Kenyan police and has retained legal counsel to push for an inquest in Nairobi. Adding to the family's concerns is the unresolved status of some of Mitchell's personal belongings, including her laptop.

"The Kenyan police have just stonewalled any inquiries,” Paul Mitchell told reporters. “They have refused to do anything about it.”

The Mitchell family continues to pursue justice, hoping renewed investigations will provide clarity and closure. They are advocating for transparency and accountability in uncovering the truth behind Kate Mitchell’s death.

“Whatever it is that the Kenyan police are reluctant to have brought to light, the collateral damage is that we don’t have answers about Kate’s death,” Paul Mitchell stated.