The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has opened investigations into the death of a Kenyan-American man who died while in police custody at Kitengela Police Station.
Eric Otieno reportedly died inside the station’s cells after he was arrested on September 18 alongside two friends while they were leaving a nightclub.
His family says Otieno had not committed any offence and was arrested by officers in plain clothes. They have also raised concerns over how his health condition was handled during his time in custody.
David Mwangi, who spoke about the arrest, said Otieno appeared to believe the officers wanted money from him.
Mwangi recalled Otieno telling him: “I think they need just 1000 bob.”
Otieno’s wife, Georginah Mwawasi, said the circumstances surrounding the arrest were unclear from the beginning. She said the two men arrested with her husband were handcuffed, while Otieno was not, before the three were taken to the police station.
Mwawasi said Otieno also sent her a message questioning why they were being taken into custody.
An account from one of the men arrested alongside Otieno has since raised further questions about what happened inside the station.
The witness said Otieno, who was known as “J”, offered to clean the cells in the hope of securing his release.
He later noticed Otieno’s condition deteriorating.
The witness said Otieno began convulsing and making unusual noises, prompting him to repeatedly bang on the cell door in an attempt to attract the attention of officers.
He claimed that by the time officers responded, Otieno was already in a critical condition.
The witness said attempts to alert police continued as Otieno’s condition worsened, but assistance came too late.
Meanwhile, Mwawasi said she was in Nairobi attempting to raise money for her husband’s release after learning that he had been arrested.
She is now left to explain his death to their children.
“Sahii nashindwa vile ntaambia watoto kuwa amekufa. Mmoja anajua, mdogo hajui. Lazima nitafute nitakavyomwambia coz alikuwa so attached,” she said.
The family has accused police of neglect and is demanding accountability over Otieno’s death.
His cousin, Eliakim Juma Orunda, said officers should be held responsible if investigations establish that they failed to respond appropriately as Otieno’s condition deteriorated.
A post-mortem examination conducted on Saturday reportedly found no external injuries consistent with an assault. It also reportedly established that Otieno had tuberculosis and a kidney-related illness.
The findings are expected to form part of the IPOA investigation as the authority seeks to establish the events inside Kitengela Police Station and determine whether Otieno received appropriate medical attention while in custody.
Investigators are expected to examine the circumstances of his arrest, his treatment while detained, the response of officers when his condition deteriorated and the events surrounding his death.
