Police deny mistreating suspect who died in Kitengela cells

Kitengela Police Station board.[Courtesy, Citizen]

Police in Kitengela, Kajiado County, have denied allegations that a man who died while in police custody was mistreated or subjected to excessive force before his death.

The police said the deceased, identified as Eric Otieno, had an underlying health condition which deteriorated while he was being held at Kitengela Police Station.

Isinya Sub-County Police Commander Simon Lakitali said preliminary findings from a postmortem examination indicated that Otieno had an underlying medical condition when he was brought to the station.

Lakitali said the suspect's condition worsened while he was in custody, eventually leading to his death.

“According to the postmortem report, the said suspect had underlying health conditions when he was brought here. However, his condition deteriorated and he passed on,” Lakitali told journalists during an interview outside Kitengela Police Station.

The police commander's remarks come amid questions surrounding the circumstances of Otieno's death and allegations that he may have been mistreated while in police custody.

Lakitali, however, rejected the allegations, insisting that police officers did not mistreat the deceased.

He said the matter had attracted the attention of the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), which had already visited the police station as part of investigations into the circumstances surrounding the death.

“The Independent Policing Oversight Authority has visited the station and they are investigating the matter,” Lakitali said.

The death has raised concerns among people familiar with the circumstances under which Otieno was arrested and taken into custody.

According to information given by the police, Otieno had recently returned to Kenya from the United States and was in Kitengela visiting his family when he was arrested by officers conducting patrols in the town.

The deceased is said to have been in the company of friends after attending a party.

The group was reportedly on its way home when they encountered police officers on patrol.

They were subsequently arrested and taken to Kitengela Police Station, where they were booked.

Police said there was no indication at the time that Otieno was suffering from a serious medical condition.

However, while in the police cells, his condition reportedly changed.

Lakitali said Otieno began complaining of feeling unwell while he was in custody, prompting the people who were being held with him to alert police officers.

“While they were in the cell, Eric started feeling unwell. The people with him alerted the officers, but before he could be rushed to the hospital, he was pronounced dead on arrival,” Lakitali said.

The account has now become a key part of investigations being conducted by IPOA, which is mandated to investigate deaths and serious injuries involving police action or occurring in police custody.

The police have maintained that Otieno's death was linked to his health condition and not mistreatment while in custody.

The postmortem findings are expected to provide important evidence as investigators seek to establish the exact cause and circumstances of his death.

The death also comes at a time when deaths occurring in police custody continue to attract public scrutiny, with families and rights groups often calling for independent investigations whenever questions arise over the treatment of detainees.

For Otieno's family, the circumstances surrounding his arrest, subsequent illness and death remain a matter of concern.

The police, meanwhile, have said they are ready to cooperate with IPOA and other relevant authorities as investigations continue.

Lakitali urged the public to allow the independent investigations to take their course, saying the authorities would establish what happened to Otieno from the time he was arrested until his death.

The IPOA investigation is expected to examine the circumstances of the arrest, the condition of Otieno when he arrived at the station, what happened while he was in the cells, the response after he reportedly became ill and the medical findings following his death.

The outcome of the investigation could help clarify whether the death was solely caused by the medical condition cited by police or whether other factors contributed to it.

Until the investigations are concluded, police have maintained that there was no mistreatment of the deceased while he was in custody.