Breaking! Another Death in Custody: Questions Mount Over Safety in Kenyan Police Cells

Another suspect has died under mysterious circumstances in a police cell, fueling growing public concern over the safety and transparency of law enforcement detention facilities in Kenya. 

On June 13, a man arrested for alleged stock theft was found dead at Katito Police Station in Kisumu County, reportedly after taking his own life. According to the police, the suspect allegedly used his vest to hang himself from the door of the cell where he was being held in solitary confinement. 

Police say they were alerted by a commotion from the cell around 10:00 a.m. and upon checking, discovered the lifeless body. His remains were transferred to Nyando Morgue, pending further investigation. 

This incident comes just a day after a similar case was reported at Ukwala Police Station in Siaya County, where a 26-year-old suspect accused of defilement was found hanging from a water pipe inside a toilet in the cells, allegedly using his shirt. 

Both deaths have been officially described as suicides, but not everyone is convinced. 

These two back-to-back incidents come in the shadow of a high-profile case involving blogger and teacher Albert Omondi Ojwang, who was found dead at the Central Police Station in Nairobi earlier this month. 

Initially labeled a suicide by authorities, who claimed Ojwang fatally injured himself by hitting a wall, an autopsy conducted by a government pathologist, as well as investigations by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), discredited the official account. The findings cited head trauma, neck compression, and multiple bruises consistent with blunt force and strangulation. 

Ojwang’s case has since reignited national scrutiny over deaths occurring in police custody, with human rights organizations and citizens demanding accountability and transparency. 

The increasing frequency of these deaths is deeply troubling. While some cases may be genuine suicides, the pattern is alarming, three deaths in less than a week, all reportedly by hanging using clothing, and all within police custody. 

Civil society groups are now calling for: Independent autopsies for all deaths in custody, Surveillance upgrades in detention cells, Psychological assessments of detainees, Unbiased investigations led by oversight bodies like IPOA. 

Police cells are supposed to provide secure holding areas for suspects awaiting trial—not become unexplained death chambers. The Kenyan public is left with more questions than answers: 

Why are suspects being left alone long enough to allegedly take their own lives? Where is the CCTV footage? Why do these deaths almost always involve hanging by clothing? Are these really suicides or something more sinister? 

Until these questions are addressed, public trust in law enforcement will continue to erode.