A family in Makueni County is crying out for justice following the mysterious death of their kin, who allegedly succumbed to fatal injuries inflicted while in police custody, reigniting the debate on extrajudicial brutality in Kenya’s law enforcement.

The victim, a 34-year-old casual laborer, was arrested on Friday evening over a minor disturbance complaint. By Sunday morning, his lifeless body was lying at the Makueni Referral Hospital mortuary, his frame bearing the harrowing hallmarks of blunt force trauma. The police report claims he "fell ill," but the family—and the community—suspects murder most foul.

"They Killed Him Like a Dog"

"When we visited him on Saturday, he could barely stand," the victim’s brother, visibly shaken, told reporters. "He told us the officers had been beating him with batons and gun butts because he refused to sign a confession. They demanded a bribe of KES 5,000 to release him. We didn’t have the money. Now we have a corpse."

Preliminary autopsy reports suggest the cause of death was severe internal bleeding consistent with assault. The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has dispatched a rapid response team to the station, but for the residents of Wote, faith in the "system" has long evaporated.

• Pattern of Impunity: This is the third death in custody reported in the region in the last six months. Activists argue that the local station has become a "torture chamber" where rogue officers extort residents with impunity.
• The Cover-Up: The OCPD has remained tight-lipped, issuing a brief statement that an "inquest file has been opened." However, sources indicate that the officers involved have already been transferred—a classic maneuver to cool temperatures without delivering justice.
• Community Mobilization: Human rights groups are planning a peaceful march to the Governor’s office, demanding the immediate suspension and prosecution of the officers on duty that fateful night.

The Rot in the Service

Despite the much-touted police reforms and the introduction of body cameras in major cities, the culture of violence in rural outposts remains pervasive. The "Utumishi Kwa Wote" motto rings hollow for families who send their sons to the station to answer for misdemeanors, only to receive them back in coffins.

As the family prepares for a funeral they cannot afford, their plea is simple: "We don’t want a report. We don’t want a transfer. We want the men who did this to face the law." In Makueni, however, the law often protects those who wear the uniform, not those who pay for it.