Family demands justice after kin dies in police custody in Migori County

A family in Migori is demanding answers after their kin, Allan Kamau, died in police custody under circumstances they describe as suspicious, shortly after officers allegedly demanded Sh15,000 for his release.

Kamau, 41, was being held at Komwamu Police Post in Kuria West, Migori County, over a dispute with his aunt involving trees worth Sh30,000. His mother, Mary Wambui Kimani, 60, says her son’s arrest on September 23, 2025, has now ended in a painful tragedy that the police have yet to explain.

“It was around 5:00 pm when the corporal in charge of Komwamu Police Post called me and asked me to speak to my son. When Allan came on the line, his voice was filled with anguish. He begged me to rescue him,” Wambui said.

According to her, the officer later called again, demanding money.

He called again, saying, "You need to bring Sh15,000 immediately. If you fail to do so, tomorrow you will weep and won’t know how to explain this to your relatives," she recalled.

Moments later, she said a police vehicle picked her up from her small shop in Nairobi Ndogo, Isebania, and drove her to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) office. There, she was informed her son had died by suicide in his cell.

“What I don’t understand is how my son could have died by suicide just one hour after calling me and pleading for help. Why would someone cry out to be saved only to end his life moments later? How and why did this happen in a police cell?” she posed.

Wambui said she was barred from viewing the alleged scene and was not allowed to see her son’s body before it was taken away.

“The officers quickly loaded his body into their vehicle without a word. I wasn’t even allowed to see where it happened. I was left with so many unanswered questions and a mother’s heart in pieces,” she said.

She insists her son’s death was not suicide.

“This is not right. I want justice for my son. He was in police custody, a place where he was supposed to be safe. But instead, the very officers meant to protect him have taken his life,” she added.

The family says Kamau had begged his aunt for forgiveness, even kneeling, but she insisted on financial compensation. He was expected to be transferred to Isebania Police Station for arraignment at Kehancha Magistrate’s Court on September 25. Instead, he remained at Komwamu Police Post, where he died the same day his mother received his final call.

His uncle, Godfrey Kamau, urged authorities and rights groups to intervene.

“This cannot be tolerated. It mirrors the case of the late Albert Ojwang, who also died at the hands of police. We want justice. I urge human rights defenders from Mombasa to Nairobi to step forward and fight for accountability,” he said.

The body was later moved to Migori County Referral Hospital Mortuary, pending post-mortem.

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Mukuru Community Justice Centre condemned the incident, arguing that the death of Kamau in police custody highlights ongoing failures within Kenya’s security system.

“No one is safe in the hands of police, especially when they are in custody. Allan Kamau's killing inside a police cell in Migori sets a precedent that our security system is still not committed to protecting Kenyans. We need to rethink our policing and safety of Kenyans,” it said.

Kongamano La Mapinduzi linked Kamau’s death to a series of similar cases.

“It all started with Albert Ojwang, then Julia Njoki, then Simon Warui, now Allan Kamau and many others. Their killers are walking freely as we stopped calling for justice. Don’t ever think this can’t be you,” the lobby added.