This archive report was first published on 17 July 2021.
On July 11, 2021, Robert Mureithi, a 30-year-old charcoal dealer, died in custody at Pangani Police Station after failing to pay a Sh200 fine. The incident has left his family seeking justice, questioning the police's account of his death.
According to the police, Mureithi collapsed in his cell around 7am and doctors who were alerted could not save his life. However, his family disputes this claim, alleging that the police's version of events is suspicious.
Dr. Peter Ndegwa, the pathologist who conducted the postmortem, stated that Mureithi's body showed signs of being submerged in water, but his lungs were dry, ruling out drowning as a cause of death. Ndegwa also found a head injury on the right side of Mureithi's head, but there was no internal bleeding observed, making it unlikely to be the cause of death.
Mureithi's father, Joseph Muriuki Kanye, expressed his desire for justice, stating that his son was okay a month ago and could not have collapsed out of the blue. He also highlighted the difficulties his family faces, with Mureithi's wife working in Qatar and his three children in need of care.
Human rights activists Zaina Kombo and Ruth Kinuthia from Haki Africa accompanied the family during the postmortem and expressed their concerns about the circumstances surrounding Mureithi's death.
