Government Pathologist Johansen Oduor has shared that An autopsy on the severed head of slain University student Rita Waeni has revealed that she was strangled to death before her head was cut off.

Speaking to journalists after the conclusion of a postmortem examination at City Mortuary, he revealed that there was also bruising on her scalp.

"The main findings were that the head had been chopped off from the neck at the level of C5 (vertebrae on the neck). There was bruising on the scalp caused by a blunt object. We also saw some fractures on bones. I can comfortably conclude that the cause of death was strangulation after which she was decapitated and her body dumped."

Earlier, the family positively identified the severed head found in Kiambaa Dam, Kiambu County, on Sunday.

Oduor, who led the autopsy and DNA analysis said the identification was based on the hair, forehead, and formation of her teeth.

The move gave pathologists led by chief government pathologist Johansen Oduor the green light to conduct an autopsy of the head as part of efforts to establish how she died on January 13 at an apartment in Roysambu, Nairobi.

Her body was found in a dustbin hours after she had been killed in cold blood and a postmortem showed she had missing nails.

Two Nigerian nationals, along with four Kenyans and an individual with a Mozambican passport are in custody in connection with the gruesome murder.

However, they have not yet been formally charged or asked to plead.

While the motive behind the murder remains unknown, the detectives believe that the perpetrators were professionals.