The family of a 36-year-old man who died under unclear circumstances while in police custody in Mombasa is demanding speedy investigations and answers over his mysterious death.
Relatives of the late Simon Warui said they were shocked to learn of his passing after tracing him to Mombasa, days after he had been reported missing in Nairobi.
Speaking to the media at the Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital on Saturday, Warui’s cousin, Godfrey Gichuru, said the family is seeking justice and closure.
Gichuru had travelled to Mombasa on Thursday after receiving reports of his cousin’s death.
“We were informed about the death of our cousin in Nairobi, which shocked us. He had been missing since Sunday. We later discovered he was in Mombasa, but when his brother and friend went to Central Police Station to see him, they were denied access. On Thursday morning, we were told he had died,” Gichuru recounted.
The family said Warui had earlier used a Catholic Church guard’s phone to contact his wife, leading them to trace him to Mombasa.
His friend, Daniel Gicheha, said efforts to find him after he disappeared were unsuccessful.
“We searched everywhere and made calls. A church guard eventually found him and took him to Central Police Station. When we went there at night, we were told to return in the morning. Later, we were referred to the DCI and then back to Central, only to learn he had died. We want justice because we left Nairobi knowing he was alive,” Gicheha said.
Civil society groups have also raised alarm over the incident.
Waliid Sketty of Vocal Africa said the post-mortem revealed Warui died from lack of oxygen, with fractures on his neck and hand and darkened fingertips, pointing to oxygen deprivation.
“This is very troubling, especially since it comes less than six months after the death of Albert Ojwang in similar circumstances at a police station,” Sketty said.
He also questioned why Warui, reported missing in Nairobi, ended up in custody in Mombasa.
“The police claim he died after scaling a wall and falling. But even if that were the case, where were the officers on duty? His family had reported him missing in Nairobi, only to find him in Mombasa,” he added.
