The family of Gideon Makau is demanding answers following his death while in police custody at Kilungu Police Station.
Makau was arrested on Tuesday evening at his business premises in Nunguni Shopping Centre on allegations of possessing a machete. He was later booked into the Kilungu Police Station cells but was found dead by Wednesday morning.
His family says they were not informed of his death by the police and only learned of the incident after a friend reportedly spotted his body being transferred to a mortuary.
Police later informed the family that Makau had allegedly died by suicide after using his trousers while in custody, a claim his relatives have strongly disputed.
Makau’s body is currently being preserved at the Kilungu Sub-County Mortuary. The family says it will wait for a post-mortem examination before deciding on the next course of action.
The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has launched investigations into the incident as human rights groups raise concerns over the rising number of deaths in police custody.
According to the Independent Medico-Legal Unit( IMLU), , at least 17 people have died in police custody over the past 12 months, with many of the cases yet to be conclusively resolved.
