Kenya’s Independent Policing Oversight Authority is investigating the death of 26-year-old Simon Warui, who died in police custody in Mombasa.
Warui was arrested in Nairobi and transferred nearly 500 kilometers to Mombasa, where he was found dead at a police station.
The autopsy report suggests he died from injuries consistent with a fall from a height.
The case has sparked outrage, with rights group VOCAL Africa questioning the official cause of death and calling for accountability.
This incident follows a similar case in June, where 31-year-old Albert Ojwang died in custody, prompting protests and demands for police reform. Ojwang’s death was initially attributed to self-inflicted injuries, but a government pathologist later disputed this, citing wounds “unlikely to be self-inflicted”. Three officers were charged in connection with Ojwang’s death.
Kenya’s police force faces ongoing criticism for brutality and extrajudicial killings, with the IPOA reporting 18 custodial deaths in a four-month period earlier this year.
