In a year marked by increasing concerns about police brutality and accountability, the country witnessed a disturbing pattern of deaths in police custody.
In the year, five cases were confirmed under troubling circumstances, each leaving behind grieving families and unanswered questions.
While IPOA has been swift in releasing statements confirming notice of the killings, many families are yet to get justice.
Albert Omondi Ojwang
Albert Ojwang was a 31-year-old teacher and blogger from Homa Bay County whose voice resonated across social media platforms. Like thousands of Kenyans, he used these platforms to comment on current affairs, critique government actions, and engage in political discourse; activities protected by Kenya's Constitution as fundamental rights to freedom of expression.
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On June 7, 2025, Ojwang was arrested in his home village in circumstances that immediately raised red flags. According to his father, police officers who came for him offered no clear explanation for the arrest, mentioning only that Ojwang had insulted their boss on social media by accusing the official of being corrupt. The "boss" was reportedly Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lagat.
Ojwang was then transported more than 350 kilometers from Homa Bay to Nairobi, where he was detained at the Central Police Station.
The following morning, June 8, Albert Ojwang was found dead in his cell. The police's initial explanation claimed he had died by suicide, allegedly hitting his head against a cell wall in what they implied was self-inflicted harm.
Forensic experts conducted the post-mortem examination. Their findings told a drastically different story that would contradict the police narrative entirely.
The forensic examination revealed evidence of blunt-force trauma, neck compression, and multiple soft-tissue injuries; injuries consistent with assault, not suicide. The medical evidence suggested that Ojwang had been beaten while in custody, raising the horrifying possibility that he had been tortured or killed by the very officers meant to protect him.
The death of Albert Ojwang triggered an immediate and powerful response. Protests erupted in Nairobi and other areas as demonstrators condemned what many called a brutal killing by those sworn to protect citizens.
Simon Warui
On Sunday, September 14, 2025, Simon Warui, a 26-year-old resident of Umoja I Estate in Nairobi, vanished from his home. His disappearance launched his family on an anxious search across the capital city, checking hospitals, police stations, and anywhere else he might have ended up.
What the family didn't know was that Simon had somehow been transported more than 400 kilometers away to Mombasa. The circumstances of how a young man could disappear from Nairobi and end up in police custody in Mombasa remained murky and unexplained.
After several days of frantic searching, the family's efforts took a dramatic turn when they discovered that Warui was being held at Central Police Station in Mombasa on theft-related charges. By the time relatives arrived at the station to secure his release on September 17, they received devastating news: Simon Warui had already died while in custody.
Police authorities claimed that Warui had died during an alleged escape attempt.
On September 23, the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) released information that shed new light on Warui's death. IPOA disclosed that it had obtained the post-mortem report, which revealed that Warui died as a result of cardiorespiratory collapse due to fracture and dislocation of the neck, injuries consistent with a fall from height.
IPOA confirmed that its investigation team had begun collecting evidence, interviewing witnesses, and reviewing police procedures relating to Warui's detention.
"IPOA emphasizes that safety and rights of individuals placed in police custody are paramount and will work diligently to ensure justice is served," the statement read. "We assure the public that IPOA will handle this incident with the seriousness it deserves and further extend condolences to the family of the deceased."
Alan Kamau Kimani
Alan Kamau Kimani, a 40-year-old man from Kuria West in Migori County, was arrested on Thursday, September 25, 2025, on allegations of cutting down trees. He was detained at Komomwamu Police Post, setting in motion a series of events that his family would later describe as extortion followed by tragedy.
According to Vocal Africa Executive Director Hussein Khalid, Kimani's mother, Mary Wambui, received a phone call from a police officer informing her of her son's arrest. When she went to the police post to see him, what followed was a troubling pattern that many Kenyan families had experienced: a demand for money in exchange for release.
Wambui claimed she was asked to pay KSh 15,000 to have her son released, a significant sum that she didn't have. The alleged extortion didn't stop there. On Friday, September 26, she received another call from an officer at the police post who allegedly threatened her with "dire consequences" if she didn't bring the money.
A few hours later on the same Friday, Wambui received another call from the same officer. This time, the message was devastating: her son was dead. According to Wambui, police told her that Kimani had committed suicide while in custody.
Eric Tonui Koros
On Tuesday, October 7, 2025, at around 2:30 pm, Eric Tonui Koros, a 40-year-old boda boda rider from Solai in Nakuru County, was arrested for failing to pay a debt of KSh 8,000. He was taken to Solai ACC Police Post, where he was detained.
In most jurisdictions, debt is a civil issue to be resolved through courts, not through police detention.
According to Vocal Africa CEO Hussein Khalid, later that same evening, officers visited Koros's home and asked his wife to accompany them to the station. When she arrived, she was informed that her husband had died in custody.
Khalid reported that Koros left behind a wife and five children, a family that had lost its breadwinner over an KSh 8,000 debt.
Paul Njuguna
On Thursday, October 9, 2025, Paul Njuguna, a 30-year-old man from Gatundu South, was arrested by police from Kiganjo Police Station in Kiambu County on claims of being in possession of bhang (marijuana).
According to witnesses, they saw police officers beating Njuguna during or after his arrest. The alleged beating suggested that Njuguna had been subjected to physical violence while in police custody.
The police, however, offered a completely different explanation for Njuguna's death. According to their account, he died as a result of swallowing bhang that was wrapped in a paper bag; presumably, an attempt to hide evidence by ingesting it.
The two narratives couldn't have been more different: witnesses claimed they saw police beating him up, while police claimed he died from swallowing drugs.
