This archive report was first published on 1 September 2019.
On September 1, 2019, a 24-year-old man, Henry Muchangi Ireri, died in a police cell in Embu County after being caught stealing from a local Salvation Army Church.
According to eyewitnesses, Ireri was caught by a worshipper who had set a trap to catch the thief, who had been stealing from the church.
The worshipper confronted Ireri and raised an alarm, attracting a group of residents who cornered him and handed him over to the police at Kigumo police post.
However, just a few hours later, Ireri collapsed in the cell and died under unclear circumstances.
Church leader Dominic Mugendi expressed concerns over Ireri's death, stating that he was not beaten by the mob and that the police should explain how he met his death.
Embu East deputy police boss Michael Wachira confirmed the incident and said that investigations had commenced to establish the cause of Ireri's death.
