A family hailing from Kiambu County has been left in utter devastation after learning that their son passed away in police custody.
Police claim that the deceased, John Thinga, hanged himself using an apron inside Githiga Police Post, Githunguri on Thursday, November 4.
The 24-year-old's relatives, however, questioned loopholes in the case and accused the law enforcers, alleging that their son was murdered.
The deceased's aunt questioned why the police not only ferried his body to a nearby morgue without the consent of the family, but also never disclosed which mortuary it was, forcing his relatives to raise the alarm.
"I was in the company of my husband when we went to the station, but the officer told us he committed suicide and that his body had been moved to the morgue without disclosing which morgue," she lamented adding that the Officer Commanding Station (OCS) broke the news when the family visited him on Friday morning, November 5.
Thinga was apprehended the day before after he was involved in an altercation with a matatu driver. The 24-year-old boda boda rider was reported to have rammed into the PSV along Githiga-Limuru road.
The two discussed and agreed to solve the matter amicably. The driver wanted to be compensated as the rider had dented the PSV’s body and damaged the vehicle’s headlights and windscreen.
“He sought the aid of his employer at the car wash who accepted to cover the cost,” the aunt added, complaining that police and the area chief raided the car wash and apprehended her nephew at around 5 pm.
His employer's efforts to bail him out one hour later proved futile as the police claimed they were processing him.
At around 6:30 pm, his friends rushed to the station to check up on him and the progress of the case, but were blocked from entering as the police were then processing the crime scene where Thinga had reportedly killed himself.
The case was confirmed by Githunguri Director of Criminal investigations, Michael Kimilu, who told the family that a post-mortem would be conducted to unearth the cause of death.
He added that investigations into the case had commenced and his department sought the intervention of the Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA). The family was also advised to file a case with the National Police Service (NPS) Internal Affairs Unit if they suspected foul play and cover-up in the death of their son.
