Uproar after boda boda rider dies inside Muthaiga Police Station

Otieno was pronounced dead on arrival at Mama Margaret Uhuru Hospital on Sunday night after he was reportedly released from police custody when his condition deteriorated.

An autopsy conducted on Tuesday found that he died from multiple abdominal injuries consistent with blunt force trauma.

The family, together with lawyers and human rights defenders, has called on the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) to secure CCTV footage from Muthaiga Police Station and expedite investigations into what they describe as another case of police brutality.

Relatives broke down in tears moments before a press briefing addressed by the family, lawyers and human rights activists.

According to the family, Otieno, a boda boda rider from Mathare, was arrested on Saturday morning over allegations that he was preparing to commit a felony.

His brother visited him at the station at about 4 p.m. the same day and found him in distress.

"Eric kept begging his brother, 'Get me out, get me out if you can. I have been beaten here.' This was on the same day he was arrested. He could not even stand," family lawyer Alvin Attalo said.

The family said they had received unconfirmed reports that Otieno had been taken to hospital on Sunday morning before being returned to the police station.

They further claimed he was released under unclear circumstances at about 11 p.m. on Sunday, despite their inability to raise the alleged cash bail of Ksh.10,000 that police had demanded.

"By the time he was released at 11 p.m., he was being rushed to Mama Margaret Uhuru Hospital. He died on the way and was pronounced dead on arrival," Attalo said.

A postmortem later established that Otieno died from massive internal bleeding caused by blunt abdominal trauma, indicating he had sustained severe injuries to the abdomen.

Former Law Society of Kenya President Faith Odhiambo called on IPOA and the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) to preserve evidence.

"We want the CCTV footage from Muthaiga Police Station to be obtained by IPOA and KNCHR so that this evidence is not tampered with. We also want an account of the recordings in the Occurrence Book," Odhiambo said.

Lawyer Abner Mango argued that officers linked to the incident should not remain on duty while investigations continue.

"We are having prime suspects walking free yet the law is not being applied because investigations are ongoing. We saw in the Albert Ojwang case that those under investigation later became prime suspects. By remaining out there, there is a high possibility they could interfere with evidence," Mango said.

Vocal Africa Executive Director Hussein Khalid also demanded swift action from IPOA.

"We want accountability from IPOA. For how long will we continue complaining about police excesses when we have IPOA, which is supposed to stop these killings?" Khalid said.

In a statement, National Police Service spokesperson Muchiri Nyaga said the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) launched investigations immediately after the incident but has since handed the matter over to IPOA.

Nyaga said the National Police Service will fully cooperate with IPOA to ensure a thorough, impartial and timely investigation.