KISUMU, Kenya, Oct 31 — A 21-year-old suspect who had been in police custody at the Kisumu Central Police Station was on Friday morning found dead inside a cell toilet under unclear circumstances.
According to preliminary reports, the suspect was discovered at around 6 a.m. by officers on duty. Police sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the man appeared to have hanged himself using a rope, though it remains unclear how he obtained it.
“He hanged himself using a rope. How he got the rope is under investigation,” said one officer familiar with the matter.
The deceased had been arrested on Monday following a foiled robbery in Kisumu’s Central Business District. During the incident, police recovered an AK-47 rifle after a dramatic chase and exchange of gunfire.
Following his arrest, the suspect was treated at a local hospital before being arraigned in court on Tuesday. The court later ordered that he be remanded at the Kisumu Central Police Station for 14 days pending further investigations.
Police said the scene of the incident was processed before the body was transferred to the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital mortuary, where a postmortem examination will be conducted to determine the exact cause of death.
The Kisumu Central Police Station has not yet issued an official statement regarding the incident.
The death adds to growing concerns over the increasing number of suspects dying in police custody across the country, raising questions about human rights, police accountability, and the integrity of Kenya’s criminal justice system.
