Kawangware: Questions after boda boda rider dies in police custody

Another mysterious death has been reported at Kawangware Police Station following the arrest of 23-year-old boda boda rider Jack Leon Matoke on Thursday at around 7 p.m. He was later found dead at the City Mortuary just four hours after his detention.

While police claim the young man took his own life using his T-shirt while in custody, the family disputes this account, citing inconsistencies.

Most notably, they say his body was found still dressed in his full motorcycle riding gear, contradicting the official version of events. The circumstances surrounding his death have raised serious questions about what transpired during his brief time in police custody.

On the night of Thursday, December 11, Jack Leon Matoke was booked into Kawangware Police Station in Nairobi. By 10:50 p.m., less than four hours later, his body lay at the City Mortuary.

“I received information that Jack had been arrested. They told us Jack entered the cell and within one hour, he was gone. They said they found that he had removed his T-shirt and tied himself. They heard something hitting the cell, and he was alone when they found him,” said his mother, Phylis Nandwa.

Police say Jack hanged himself using his T-shirt while in custody and that officers rushed him to Kenyatta National Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

“When we arrived at the City Mortuary and saw Jack’s body, we found marks on his neck. The marks looked like they were drawn, similar to tattoos. Secondly, all the clothes that a motorcycle rider normally wears were still on his body. I asked myself, where is the item he used to hang himself? I did not see it,” said Elphas Amakobe, a family member.

Human rights activist Hussein Khalid of Vocal Africa also questioned the police narrative.

“The story of Jack does not make sense. They claim he hanged himself using a T-shirt, but according to the family he still had all his clothes on. There is no missing T-shirt. Secondly, we are asking the police where the alleged T-shirt is. It has not been availed to anyone. Thirdly, where were they, and how were they moving around with him for two to three hours until he died?” Khalid said.

Jack leaves behind a two-year-old daughter. His family is now demanding an independent investigation and a postmortem to establish the true cause of his death.

“What I want is for us to know the truth about what happened and how he died,” his mother said.

“This is another death in custody. There are too many deaths in custody in Kenya. In the last few months, we have kept receiving reports of deaths in custody every other week,” he said.

As the family prepares for Jack’s burial, they say they are left with more questions than answers. For now, a young life has been lost, a child left without a father, and a mother continues to mourn as she seeks justice.