An autopsy has shown that Simon Warui, the man who died last week at Mombasa Central Police Station, had a broken neck, injuries that doctors described as typically associated with a fall from a high place.
The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) explained that the cause of death for Warui was cardiorespiratory collapse following a fracture or dislocation of the neck.
Warui went missing in Nairobi on September 14. Four days later, he was told that he had been killed in Mombasa police custody. The development has infuriated the public and raised further questions about the handling of detainees.
IPOA chairman Issack Hassan clarified that detectives are already gathering evidence, interviewing witnesses, and scrutinizing police logs. He insisted that the safety of people in custody is their priority and ensured that the watchdog will get to the truth of the matter.
The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) has also stepped into the fray, asking how Warui, last seen in Nairobi, wound up in detention hundreds of kilometers away in Mombasa.
Police have claimed he “fell off a wall within the cells,” something that rights groups have publicly dismissed as improbable.
Warui’s death adds to growing concern over deaths in police custody. Just last month, 33-year-old Raymond Nachibati died at Budonga Police Post in Kakamega only hours after being arrested. And in one of the most high-profile cases, teacher and blogger Albert Ojwang died at Central Police Station after allegedly being assaulted by officers, sparking countrywide protests.