Nyamira: Family seeks justice after kin dies in police custody

A family from Nyamarimba village in Nyamira North, Nyamira County is mourning the death of their patriarch who reportedly passed away under unclear circumstances in a police holding cell.

The deceased, 59-year-old Jackson Makori Obare, was supposedly assaulted by armed assailants on Sunday, December 24 after allegedly trespassing on neighbour Lux Orwaru Omondi's farm.

Omondi, a teacher by profession, later told police that they caught Obare attempting to steal bananas from his farm before roughing him up, a claim his kin has denied.

Obare and his acquaintances were subsequently arrested and whisked away to Ekerenyo Police Station following the incident.

The deceased was later taken to Ekerenyo Sub-District Hospital to receive treatment for grievous injuries sustained during the encounter with the aforesaid armed assailants.

Subsequently, he was returned to Ekerenyo Police Station, where reports indicate he passed away while in a holding cell.

Obare's family is now seeking justice, asserting that they were kept in the dark when their kin was taken to hospital and were only notified of his passing via a letter authored by officers handling his case.

Additionally, they claim that upon arriving at Nyamira Referral Hospital to identify the deceased, they discovered him unclothed and without his identification documents. He had similarly been booked into the hospital under an alias, according to his kin.

This, they say, has prompted suspicion regarding the circumstances surrounding Obare's passing.

Speaking to Citizen Digital, Nyamira North Deputy Commissioner Simon Musumba noted that preliminary investigations had established that Obare did not attempt to steal the bananas as he had been accused.

"Investigations have established that the deceased was not stealing when he was assaulted. The police report intimates that he died at Nyamira Referral Hospital. At this time no one has been arrested in connection to his death," said Musumba.

Investigations into the incident are currently ongoing.