This archive report was first published on 11 July 2021.
On July 9, 2021, Robert Mureithi, a 30-year-old man, was arrested for breaking curfew rules and taken to the Makadara Law Courts.
He was given an option of a fine or seven days in jail, but since he could not raise the Sh200 fine, he was held at the Pangani Police Station while the court issued commitments for his processing to remand.
Tragically, Mureithi collapsed in the cells on Sunday, July 11, 2021, where he had been held since Friday, July 9.
According to Starehe police boss Julius Kiragu, the cause of Mureithi's death has not been established, but he denied reports of a scuffle among inmates over alleged overcrowding.
"It is true that the suspect collapsed in the cell and the cause has not been established," Kiragu said. "Officer Commanding the Station checked into the cell to check on the inmates around 7am and found someone had collapsed. He alerted MSF doctors for assistance, but when they arrived, he was already dead."
"It is true that the suspect collapsed in the cell and the cause has not been established, Officer Commanding the Station checked into the cell to check on the inmates around 7am and found someone had collapsed he alerted MSF doctors for assistance but when they arrived, he was already dead," Kiragu said. Mureithi's body has been taken to City Mortuary for postmortem to ascertain the cause of his death and start the process of tracing his family.
