Editor's Review

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has addressed claims circulating on social media concerning the death of Dennis Aremo Osiemo while in police custody at Narumoru Police Station.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has addressed claims circulating on social media concerning the death of Dennis Aremo Osiemo while in police custody at Narumoru Police Station.

In a statement on Tuesday, September 22, the DCI said Osiemo’s arrest followed investigations into a case of assault causing actual bodily harm that had been reported at Narumoru Police Station.

"The complaint related to an incident on 2 July 2026, in which Osiemo, a former farmhand of the complainant, is alleged to have gone to her home, assaulted her and stabbed her several times before fleeing the scene. 

"The complainant reported the matter at Narumoru Police Station and was admitted at Tumutumu Hospital, where she remained for nine days," the statement read.

According to the DCI, the complainant later raised concerns about the handling of the case with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) in Nanyuki. 

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The ODPP subsequently directed that the matter be taken over by the DCI.

The case file was forwarded to the Sub-County Criminal Investigations Officer (SCCIO), Kieni East, on September 3, 2026. 

Detectives subsequently trailed Osiemo to Kisii, where he was reported to have gone into hiding.

The DCI said officers from Kieni East, with assistance from the SCCIO, Masaba North, eventually arrested Osiemo in Kisii on September 18, 2026.

"With the assistance of the SCCIO, Masaba North, DCI officers from Kieni East arrested Osiemo in Kisii on 18 September 2026. He was first booked at Keroka Police Station pending collection. He was collected by DCI officers from Kieni East and booked at Narumoru Police Station on 19 September 2026," the statement added.

File image of DCI boss Mohamed Amin

According to the DCI, Osiemo was processed on the same day, had his statement recorded and was returned to the cells after officers observed that he was in normal condition. 

He had been scheduled to appear in court on Monday, September 21, over the assault case.

However, on Sunday, September 20, Osiemo was found hanging from the ventilation grills inside the police cell at Narumoru Police Station.

"The scene was processed immediately in the presence of officers of the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), senior police officers and a relative. The body was thereafter removed to the Narumoru mortuary pending autopsy," the statement further read.

The DCI said the investigation into Osiemo’s death had since been taken over by IPOA, adding that it would accord the oversight authority full cooperation.

"The DCI extends its deepest condolences to the family, relatives and friends of the late Dennis Aremo Osiemo. It shares in their grief and assures them, and the public, of its commitment to a transparent process aimed at establishing the full circumstances of his death," the statement concluded.

Elsewhere, this comes a week after a police officer who was a protected witness in the Albert Ojwang' murder case died.

Stephen Maina Nderitu, who was attached to the office of the Officer Commanding Station (OCS) at Central Police Station, died on Monday, September 7. 

Nderitu reportedly collapsed shortly after leaving his workplace and died. A postmortem examination cited acute ulcers, cardiac arrest and depression among the causes of his death.

His death comes at a critical stage in the murder case, where he was expected to provide evidence concerning events at Central Police Station following Ojwang’s death. 

Investigators had identified Nderitu as a key witness in efforts to establish a possible link between former OCS Samson Talam and the alleged tampering with the CCTV hard drive at the station.

Nderitu was expected to testify on information that could have helped investigators piece together what happened to the CCTV evidence and establish the chain of accountability within the station.

Investigators said Nderitu had recorded a statement on Monday, May 18, in which he outlined sensitive details relating to the case.

The statement was expected to provide crucial information that could strengthen the prosecution’s case by connecting accounts surrounding Ojwang’s final hours and events at the police station.

His sudden death has now raised questions about how the prosecution will proceed with evidence that was expected to be presented through his testimony.