Fresh outrage has erupted in the Nyamonye area of Bondo, Siaya County, after a man died in police custody just hours after his arrest. Boniface Omondi, 34, was arrested on Sunday, July 6, by officers from Nyamonye Police Post following an alleged domestic dispute with his wife.
He was found dead in his cell the following morning on Monday, July 7.
Bondo Sub-County DCIO Reuben Onchoka confirmed the incident, stating that the deceased was booked into the cell alone.
He alleged that Omondi was later found hanging from a window grill using his vest.
“He was booked in the cell alone, and the officers at the police post found his lifeless body hanging on a window grill after he reportedly committed suicide using his vest,” said Onchoka.
Police Allege Omondi Hanged Himself Using His Vest
Area residents have condemned the incident and are calling for an immediate, transparent investigation into the circumstances surrounding Boniface Omondi’s death.
“This is a tragic and unacceptable loss of life. No one should die in police custody,” said a resident, calling for independent oversight by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA).
The body was taken to the Bondo Sub-County Hospital mortuary. This incident comes less than a month after the country recorded a surge in deaths occurring in police custody.
Also Read: Court Summons IPOA After OCS Talaam Uses Phone While in Custody
Ojwang’s Death in Police Custody Among Few Cases Made Known
Among them was the case of Albert Ojwang, a political blogger and teacher, whose death in custody reignited public outrage over police abuse and sparked street protests in Nairobi.
The police initially claimed that Ojwang fatally injured himself by banging his head against a cell wall, but an autopsy revealed injuries that pathologists said were “unlikely to be self-inflicted”.
The government’s own pathologist found signs of blunt force trauma, neck compression and soft tissue injuries, suggesting an assault. Independent pathologist, Bernard Midia, who assisted with the post-mortem, also ruled out suicide.
In a separate case reported in June 2025, police in Kisumu said a man arrested for livestock theft was found dead just two hours after being booked at Katito Police Station.
He had been locked alone in a solitary cell, and less than two hours later, officers claimed that they discovered him hanging from a metal rod on the cell door, using his vest as a makeshift noose.
While authorities treated the case as a suspected suicide, the short time between his arrest and death raised concerns among local residents, who questioned the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Cases of Deaths in Police Cells in June This Year
Meanwhile, Calvin Omondi Onditi, a 36-year-old fisherman, was arrested on June 14, 2025, around midnight and taken to Kipasi Police Post in Mbita constituency, Homabay County.
He was apprehended after being found trespassing Got Pen at Ndhuru village, following a tip-off from local residents.
Hours after his arrest, Calvin was reported dead, with police stating he died by suicide, allegedly hanging himself with his trousers. However, Omondi’s family disputed the police narrative, questioning the visible bruises on his neck.
Also Read: Another Homa Bay Resident Dies in Police Custody
In the same month, a man held in police custody at Turasha Police Station in Nyandarua County allegedly died by suicide, according to County Commissioner Jaldesa.
Preliminary reports indicated that the man used his shirt to take his own life by tying it to a padlock on the inside of his cell door.
A police report identified the deceased as 44-year-old Ruigi Ndubi, who had been arrested for allegedly obstructing police officers in the line of duty.
The report also noted that Ndubi appeared intoxicated at the time of his arrest.
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