A 35-year-old fisherman was found dead in a police cell after a suspected suicide mission at the Kipasi Police Post in Suba North Constituency, Homabay County.
The incident came hours after he was arrested over allegations of bestiality, police said.
The deceased, identified as Calvince Omondi Onditi, was apprehended by the area chief at around 3 a.m. on Sunday, June 15, after reportedly being found in a goat pen in a homestead near Ndhuru Trading Centre.
He was later handed over to police at Kipasi for further processing.
Homa Bay County Police Commander Lawrence Koilim said the suspect, a resident of Ndhiwa Constituency and a fisherman at Ndhuru Beach, was discovered hanging from the roof of the cell using a trouser.
The incident occurred as officers were preparing to transfer him to Mbita Police Station for further interrogation.
Koilim confirmed that detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and officers from the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) had since visited the scene and launched an investigation into the death.
The body was moved to the Homa Bay County Referral Hospital morgue after family members were notified.
The family has called on the government to expedite investigations to establish the truth and ensure accountability.
The incident came days after police and officials from the Independent Policing Oversight Authority opened investigations into a suicide incident that happened at the Katito police cells, Kisumu County.
Police at the station said they were alerted about the commotion that came from the cell on June 13 at about 10 am.
It was then that they discovered that a suspect had hanged himself on the grills of the cells.
The deceased, identified as Calvin Omondi Owuor had been brought there over claims of stock theft.
He had used his vest to hang himself on the grill. The vest was tied around his neck, police said.
The body was moved to the mortuary pending autopsy. This comes days after another suspect died by suicide at the Ukwala police cells, Siaya County.
The incident happened on June 10 in the morning. The body of Joseph Otieno Oduor alias Sande, 26, was found hanging in the toilet.
He had been arrested following the issuance of a warrant by a court in the area.
He had been accused of defilement. Police said he hanged himself in a toilet at the cells using his shirt.
Police said the body was found hanging on a metal water pipe with his shirt around his neck.
The family said the man was suicidal, as he had attempted the same in the past.
Senior police visited the scene as part of the probe into the incident.
The body was moved to the mortuary pending autopsy.
