Festus Muthui, a 26-year-old passed away while in police custody under unknown circumstances, after remaining in the cells for four days without being charged.
His father, John Mutinda is trying to uncover the truth about the circumstances under which his son mysteriously died while in police custody.
Speaking to the press, he explained that Muthui was arrested and held at the Bondeni police station in Nakuru on December 20, 2024, for defiling a 12-year-old girl.
However, on December 23, his father was called to the police station to attend to his son who was complaining of severe pain.
“When I got there I found him with huge swellings on his head and body. He kept complaining of headaches and said that the police officers had beaten him up,” he said.
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26-Year-Old Dies in Custody
The commanding officer demanded that he be paid Ksh20,000 before releasing the 26-year-old to seek medical attention, and the father obliged.
The suspect was then rushed to Nakuru level 5 hospital where he was diagnosed with depression and given medication. However, Muthui was rearrested by the police shortly after and taken back to the cells.
“I paid the Ksh20,000 but we did not fill up the release form. Because of that, the OCS sent back a police van to rearrest my son after he had received treatment.”
“On the 24th morning, my son was alive. The previous day he was brought to the hospital and diagnosed with depression before he was rearrested and taken back to the police station,’ said the father,” he said.
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Child Support
According to the family, Muthui was set up by his wife for failing to pay child support amounting to Ksh30,000.
“I was told that my son had been reported to the OCS, and it has been decided that he will not be released until he pays Ksh30,000. We agreed that I would pay Ksh15,000 and clear the remaining amount later,” he said.
“When I arrived at the station, I found my son’s lifeless body lying on the floor of the cell. I asked what the police had done to my son and many of them started walking away,” lamented the father.
The police commander has denied claims that the man was denied medical attention, which led to his death.
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