Calls for Justice After Another Mysterious Death in Police Custody
Written by John on September 22, 2025
Calls for Justice After Mysterious Death in Police Custody
The death of Simon Warui while in police custody at the Central Police Station in Mombasa has reignited public outrage and renewed calls for accountability within the National Police Service.
Warui, who had been reported missing in Nairobi a week earlier, was later discovered to have been secretly held in Mombasa. His family says they were repeatedly denied access to him at the station and were only informed of his death hours later.
A post-mortem report revealed that Warui died from lack of oxygen, with visible injuries on his head, neck, and arms — findings that point to possible torture. Yet police claim he died after falling while attempting to climb the wall of his cell, an explanation dismissed by his family and human rights groups as both implausible and evasive.
“This is not just negligence; it is a deliberate violation of basic human rights,” said one rights activist, questioning why Warui was arrested in the first place and why no official charges were ever communicated.
The incident echoes a disturbing pattern. Just three months ago, another young man, Albert Ojwang, died under similar circumstances while in custody at the Central Police Station in Nairobi. Rights defenders say these repeated cases highlight a systemic culture of impunity within the police service, where deaths in custody are explained away without credible investigations or accountability.
Civil society organizations and Warui’s family are now demanding an independent probe, justice for the deceased, and urgent reforms to stop what they describe as “a continuing cycle of state-sanctioned violence.”
“This cannot be allowed to continue. Every Kenyan deserves the right to life and dignity — even behind bars,” a family spokesperson said.
Ends…
By Jeslinah Ongubo.
The author is an experienced radio journalist and media manager.
