- Youths in Maili 46 town demonstrate against police and demanded justice
- Kajiado Central subcounty deputy commander denies suspect died at police station as alleged
Police in Maili 46 town, Kajiado county, are under pressure from residents after a suspect died in their custody.
Police and eyewitnesses have given contradicting accounts of what happened before and after Mathias Mbatha Nzimbi, 39, was arrested on April 5. His body was found in Kajiado Referral Hospital mortuary.
Pastor Noah Matina told the Star on Sunday Nzimbi was arrested by unidentified police from a bar in the town while he was in the company of another police officer.
Matina said Nzimbi, who was suspected to be in possession of a stolen gas cylinder and a music system, accompanied the officer to the police station after collecting the items he told the police he bought from another person.
He said he was shocked to learn that Nzimbi, a well-known mason, in the town had died in the hands of the police.
"He was not violent in any way because he admitted to the officer to having the said stolen property, and even had the courtesy of leading the officer to his house to recover the items," Matina said.
But Kajiado Central subcounty deputy commander Josephat Kiarie on Sunday denied the suspect died at Maili 46 police station as alleged.
"It is true our officers arrested the deceased on Friday but while he was being escorted to record a statement regarding the alleged stolen property, he developed some health complication. My officers rushed him to Elang'ata Wuas health centre where he was pronounced dead on arrival," Kiarie said.
The police boss said the body was later moved to the county referral hospital where a postmortem was carried out but he could not share what the pathologist said was the cause of death.
On Saturday, youth in Maili 46 town demonstrated against the police and demanded for justice.