Kiambu family demands justice after student allegedly dies of suicide inside police cell

A family in Kiambu County is demanding an independent investigation into the death of a young student who allegedly died by suicide while in custody at Kiambu Police Station under circumstances they describe as suspicious and inconsistent.

The deceased, identified by relatives as Brian Njunge Ndungu, was an architecture student at Kiambu National Polytechnic (KINAP) who had recently moved into an apartment in the Kiambu area.

According to the family, he had been arrested over allegations of theft involving household items belonging to a neighbour.

Speaking outside the police station, Brian’s sister, Claire Njambi, narrated the sequence of events that led to the family’s discovery of his body inside a police cell.

Claire said the ordeal began early in the morning when her brother received a phone call from a man who introduced himself as a Criminal Investigations Department (CID) officer, now known as the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI). She claimed the caller questioned her about Brian before ending the call abruptly after an argument.

Later, their mother allegedly received another call informing her that Brian had been apprehended and detained at Kiambu Police Station over claims that he had stolen a MacBook laptop, a gas cylinder, a computer mouse and two umbrellas from a neighbour.

The family immediately travelled to the station and arrived shortly before noon.

Claire alleged that while waiting outside an office at the station, they noticed officers and another man believed to be a caretaker laughing and engaging in what appeared to be casual conversation.

According to the family, the atmosphere changed when two women — one identified as a chaplain and another who introduced herself as a counsellor — entered the office and began speaking to them in what appeared to be grief counselling even before they had been informed about Brian’s condition.

Claire claimed the counsellor spoke generally about suicide cases involving male students before eventually informing them that Brian had died.

The family was then escorted to the holding cells, where they found Brian alone in a cell, hanging against a wall.

Claire claimed they observed blood stains on his clothes, signs of bleeding from his nose and excessive sweating on his body, raising questions about the circumstances surrounding his death.

Brian’s mother, Susan Wambui, broke down as she spoke about the loss of her son, describing him as a quiet young man who had no reason to steal the items police claimed were missing.

Wambui insisted that investigations must be conducted thoroughly and transparently.

“I want justice for my son. We have been given no proper explanation except being told he committed suicide,” she said.

The family further questioned inconsistencies surrounding the alleged complainant and the apartment where the theft reportedly occurred.

According to Claire, the police informed them that the complainant lived on the ground floor while Brian lived on the first floor. However, after visiting the apartment themselves, the family claimed they established that the complainant occupied the first floor while Brian lived on the second floor.

Claire also questioned the identity of the alleged caretaker who first contacted the family, saying some tenants later informed them the apartment rarely had a caretaker.

Brian had reportedly moved into the apartment only three weeks earlier and was preparing to continue his studies after completing part of his architecture course.

His brother, Alan Karanja, accused officers at the station of mistreating Brian while in custody and demanded accountability from authorities.

The emotional family members called on the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) and other investigative agencies to conduct independent investigations into the incident.

By Friday evening, police had not publicly released a detailed account of the events leading to the student’s death. The family said they had already recorded statements and opened an Occurrence Book (OB) report as they pursue justice for their kin.