Police cells turned into death chambers as families demand justice

Police cells meant to hold suspects awaiting trial are increasingly coming under scrutiny as families mourn relatives who have died in custody or shortly after release, raising fresh questions about accountability, oversight and the protection of detainees.

In Makueni, the family of Gedion Makau is demanding full accountability after he was found dead inside a cell at Kilungu Police Station, rejecting the police account that he took his own life.

Makau was arrested on Tuesday evening last week at his business premises in Nunguni Shopping Centre over allegations that he was in possession of a machete. He was taken to Kilungu Police Station and booked into custody.

By Wednesday morning, however, his family had been informed that he was dead.

Relatives say they were left unaware of his whereabouts and only learnt of his death after a friend reportedly saw his body being transferred to a morgue.

Police later summoned the family and told them Makau had allegedly committed suicide using his trousers.

His mother, Teressia Mbandi, has rejected the explanation, saying she saw nothing on her son’s body that convinced her he had strangled himself.

“We were being told that he committed suicide using his trousers. This seems to be false because the trousers were not tight and were loose, and even when I checked the neck, there was no sign of strangulation,” she said.

Makau’s body is at Kilungu Sub-County Mortuary awaiting a postmortem examination expected to establish the cause and circumstances of his death.

The family claims Makau is the third person to die while being held at the station, adding another layer of concern over deaths occurring inside police facilities.

The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has taken over investigations, with relatives demanding that officers attached to the station be transferred as inquiries continue.

The Makueni case comes against the backdrop of another death that has intensified scrutiny of police custody.

In Githurai 44, Nairobi, the family of Eric Muiruri, a club bouncer, is seeking justice after he was allegedly shot dead by a police officer following a confrontation at a bar.

According to relatives, Muiruri had fought with a club manager who was subsequently overpowered and called the police.

They allege that officers arrived and shot Muiruri before claiming he had been found in possession of stolen property.

His mother, Joyce Njoki, said her son pleaded with one of the officers not to shoot him and asked to speak to her.

The family says it struggled for two days to obtain an Occurrence Book number from Githurai 44 Police Station, where the incident allegedly occurred. Efforts to obtain a response from police at Kasarani Divisional Headquarters on the status of the investigation were unsuccessful.

The cases add to a growing list of deaths linked to police custody, including that of 19-year-old boda boda rider Eric Otieno, whose death shortly after his release from Muthaiga Police Station has raised questions about what happened while he was detained.

Otieno’s family wants investigators to secure CCTV footage and hospital records to establish the circumstances surrounding his injuries and death.

The National Police Service initially said investigations had begun before IPOA took over the case.

According to the Justice Centres Working Group, Otieno was allegedly tortured after his arrest on August 1, leaving him with severe injuries.

He was reportedly taken to an MSF-supported facility and later referred to Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital, but was allegedly returned to the police station despite medical advice.

The allegations have revived painful memories of teacher and blogger Albert Omondi Ojwang, who died at Central Police Station in June 2025 after allegedly being tortured in custody.

His death triggered nationwide protests and renewed calls for sweeping police reforms.

Otieno’s case is part of a wider catalogue of deaths reported in police custody or shortly after detention, involving Julie Njoki Wangui in Nanyuki, Eric Tonui Koros at Solai ACC Police Post, Brian Njunge at Kiambu Police Station, Bernard Nyakwama Omae at Kibera Police Station and Douglas Simiyu Barasa at Kakamega Central.

Others include Joseph Otieno Oduor at Ukwala, Timon Otieno at Homa Bay, Calvince Omondi at Kipasi, Benard Mwanthe Kivinda at Eastern Mitaboni, Daniel Makau at Nguluni, Silvester Mwangonji Mwandiwe at Werugha, Peter Wamwea Wangagi at Central Kangurwe and Peter Kiiru at Kariobangi North.

Taken together, the cases are fuelling fears that police cells—facilities intended to safeguard suspects before they appear in court—are becoming places where allegations of torture, neglect and unexplained deaths can occur away from public scrutiny.

The Law Society of Kenya President Charles Kanjama has called for urgent intervention by IPOA, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights and the Internal Affairs Unit.

“The tragedy involving the unlawful killing of Eric Otieno at Muthaiga Police Station deserves strong and forceful steps,” Kanjama said, demanding that authorities secure scenes, suspects and exhibits and provide a clear account of what happened.

The Justice Centres Working Group has also raised concerns over overcrowding, poor sanitation, inadequate healthcare, prolonged pre-trial detention and allegations of torture and ill-treatment in police stations.

Such conditions, human rights advocates warn, can turn custody facilities into death chambers where detainees are exposed to abuse while their families struggle to obtain information or accountability.

UNDP has warned that poor detention conditions can make torture and abuse “easier to hide, harder to challenge and more likely to recur.”