Author: Mary Musembi

A protest broke out outside Muthaiga Police Station in Nairobi after members of the public demanded answers over the death of a man who had recently been released from police custody.

The demonstration followed the death of Eric Otieno, who had been arrested on August 1 on allegations of preparation to commit a felony.

Police at the station said Otieno was released on cash bail on August 2 but later died while being taken to hospital.

Otieno was a bodaboda rider in the area. His family said he was arrested along Thika Road.Police brutality again

His family said they were called to pick him up and took him to hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

He had allegedly complained of being beaten and experiencing pain in his ribs.

@alexmutwiri18

Kisunzi cha mauaji seli Familia ya Eric Otieno inataka polisi wakamatwe Mhudumu huyo wa boda boda alifariki katika njia tata Alifariki baada ya kupigwa vibara tumboni Otieno alifariki baada ya kuachiliwa huru na polisi #CitizenNipashe

♬ original sound – Alex Mutwiri

Family members claimed police at the station had demanded a cash bail of Sh10,000, which was later reduced to Sh6,000 before his release.The circumstances surrounding his illness and death remain under investigation.

A post-mortem examination showed he had sustained multiple injuries caused by a blunt object.

Police authorities said on Wednesday that the findings had opened the way for a possible murder investigation amid growing calls for justice.

Police said members of the public gathered outside the station to protest and demand accountability over the incident.

The demonstrators were addressed by the Starehe Sub-County Police Commander, who urged them to remain calm and allow investigations into the death to proceed.

Police said no injuries were reported and no property was damaged during the demonstration.

Investigations into the circumstances surrounding Otieno’s death are ongoing.

The family has demanded answers over Otieno’s death and called on the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) to intervene and investigate the matter.

IPOA officials promised to pursue the case to ensure justice.

Nairobi Police Commander Issa Mohamud said the incident is under investigation.

There’s concern among Kenyans, following the news that the recent deaths of more than a dozen elephants may have been due to pesticides.

Several days ago, the Kenya Wildlife Service reported that some of the elephants that died had shown signs of partial paralysis, that suggested poisoning from cyanide used in pesticides.

The chief vet of Kenya’s wildlife service said traces of cyanide were found in the elephants’ stomachs, and that they are not ruling out deliberate poisoning.

His theory is that the animals were exposed to cyanide through pesticides sprayed on nearby tomato farms.

Other experts argue that this is not the full picture and that there is not enough evidence to conclude that pesticides resulted in the deaths.

They say that males are more likely to enter fans as they usually take more risks, yet only one of the elephants that does was a male.

In addition, previous cases of poisoning have affected other animals such as zebras and antelopes, which raid the same locations.

 Nakuru court on Monday resumed the hearing into the disappearance of fisherman Brian Odhiambo, who allegedly went missing while in the custody of Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) officers near the shores of Lake Nakuru.

The fifth accused, Abdulrahman Sudi, whose vehicle is alleged to have played a key role in the operation, took the stand to give his defence, but struggled to offer a consistent account and contradicted himself several times under questioning.

A Nakuru court on Monday resumed the hearing into the disappearance of fisherman Brian Odhiambo, who allegedly went missing while in the custody of Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) officers near the shores of Lake Nakuru.

Sudi told the court the suspect’s hands had been tied with a rope, contradicting an earlier statement in which he had said the man was handcuffed. He testified that after he escorted the suspect to relieve himself, the man pushed him and disappeared into a nearby forest.

Niliachwa kulinda mshukiwa na aliniambia anaskia kuenda haja ndogo, niliweka gari kando nikamfungulia mlango na nikamfungua kamba na nikamescort kuenda haja,” Sudi told the court.

Under cross-examination, Sudi was unable to explain how a man he had earlier described as weak and exhausted managed to overpower him and flee into the forest, despite the fact that he was armed.

The six accused, Francis Wachira, Abdulrahman Sudi, Evans Kimaiyo, Michael Wabukhala, Alexander Lorogoi and Isaac Ochieng, all KWS officers, are facing charges linked to the disappearance of Brian Odhiambo at the shores of Lake Nakuru on January 25, 2025.

Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) are pursuing a suspect linked to an alleged motor vehicle theft and drug trafficking after he disappeared with a rented vehicle a week ago.

The suspect, identified as Samuel Omondi Audi, allegedly rented a Mazda CX-5 from a car hire agent in Utawala after claiming he needed it for a 10-day trip to Mombasa.

The vehicle owner later discovered that the car’s GPS tracking device had been removed and dumped along Kangundo Road in Machakos County, raising fears that the vehicle had been stolen.

Detectives have launched investigations to trace the suspect and recover the missing vehicle.

According to investigators, Audi rented the vehicle from owner Martin Maranga Nyandusi after being referred by another car hire agent.

Believing the request was genuine, Nyandusi released the vehicle, which was delivered to the suspect in Kahawa Sukari, off Thika Road, on July 23.

Two days later, the owner became suspicious after noticing that the vehicle had remained stationary for an unusual period.When he followed the GPS signal, he found only the tracking device, which had been removed from the vehicle and abandoned.

He took the vehicle and appeared to be heading to Kitui. The tracker later showed it was along Kangundo Road in Joska. When we got there, we found that the tracker had been removed. The vehicle is only two months old. He had agreed to pay Ksh.7,000 per day,-Nyandusi said .

The matter was reported to the police, who said the suspect is already under investigation over alleged drug trafficking activities.

Detectives believe he may have been using hired vehicles to transport narcotics and say the latest incident fits a pattern they are investigating.

Police records indicate that Audi is facing an ongoing court case and has previously been arrested over alleged drug trafficking offences.

In March 2024, he was arrested along the Keroka-Sotik road after allegedly being found transporting cannabis in a rented Nissan Tiida.

Four months later, he was arrested again in Kibera after allegedly evading a police operation along the Kisii-Migori highway. Investigators claimed he was transporting narcotics in a rented Nissan X-Trail

Police told us they already have a file on him and that he has a case in court,” Nyandusi said.

“We are cooperating with the police and urging them to help us. We are also asking fellow car hire business owners to remain vigilant

Detectives said the suspect’s last known mobile phone signal placed him in the Kisumu area, where efforts to trace him are ongoing.