Samuel Muchemi who is alleged to have died by suicide at Muchatha Police Post in Ruaka.
Samuel Muchemi, 34, who was found lifeless in a police cell at Muchatha police station last week, died from lack of oxygen in his lungs, a post-mortem has revealed.
The post-mortem also revealed that the deceased's body had no major wounds except for a soft tissue injury on his head, which did not damage the skull.
“The deceased’s cause of death is asphyxiation (deprivation of oxygen) due to neck compression by ligature (a tie) …Also observed was a 12-centimetre compression on the neck and abrasion on the left and right elbows,” parts of the post-mortem stated.
While the family's private pathologist, Dr Peter Ndegwa, agreed with the findings that Muchemi died of asphyxiation, his professional opinion was that Muchemi could not have committed suicide with his shirt as alleged by the police.
“The sleeve of the shirt seems not to have had any effect on the neck. There were no clear signs of suspension or hanging,” he said.
For Dr Ndegwa, the compression on Muchemi was in the middle of his neck “yet when someone dies by suicide, especially if they used a ligature to suspend themselves, the compression usually forms at the uttermost part of the neck, above the Adam’s Apple.”
He further explained that the injuries on the deceased's body suggested that he may have been beaten before his death, as the bodies of victims who die by suicide "hardly show any other injuries other than the compression on the neck".
Daniel Maina, the deceased’s elder brother, had earlier told the Nation that Muchemi’s friend, identified as Charles Kung’u, told them that police officers roughed up Muchemi before being locked up.
“Kung’ told us that he received information that Muchemi was being arrested and he rushed to the scene where he, alongside my brother, were beaten up. Seeing he could do nothing to salvage the situation, he opted to go home and go pick his friend from the police post in the morning,” Maina said.
Kiambaa Sub-County Police Commander Pius Mwanthi said the police were satisfied with the results, which he said would help them find out exactly what happened on the night that Muchemi died.
He added that while Dr Ndegwa had given his opinion on the post-mortem, the facts as revealed by the process indicated that the 34-year-old may have died of suicide as reported by the police.
He also dismissed claims that Muchemi had been beaten by police officers, saying there was a possibility that he had sustained injuries from drinking before his arrest.
Mr Mwanthi explained that the 34-year-old was spotted driving drunk late on Thursday (12 December 2024) by the area assistant chief, who called officers from Muchatha police station. The officers arrested him and took him to the police cell where Muchemi later died.
“Unfortunately, it happened that when he was placed in custody, he was found hanging on the cell’s grills and his long-sleeved shirt tight around his neck. We were informed of the incident and the Officer Commanding Station, the Sub County Criminal Investigations Officer and myself rushed to the scene. The investigations are on,” he said.
Muchemi’s death was recorded in OB number 2/13/12/2024 at 12.17am on December 13, 2024.
The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has launched an investigation into Muchemi's death and has already visited the scene of the death and taken statements from police officers at the scene.
Although the post-mortem showed how Muchemi died in police custody, the family finds it hard to believe that he could have hanged himself by tying his shirt to one of the grills in the police cells, which are about a metre off the ground.
“How could Muchemi have committed suicide while in a police cell that is visible to officers on duty, because it is made of a waist-length wall completed with iron grills, without raising alarm?” Mr Maina asked.
He also questioned the account given to him by one of the officers investigating the matter, who said some women saw his late brother driving recklessly and called the area chief, who somehow managed to quickly gather officers and effectively arrest Muchemi.
“The chief in the area must be very effective to the extent that in the flash of an eye, he called officers and immediately went and arrested a man who was speeding while drunk driving. It all does not add up,” he said.
Acknowledging the family's scepticism, SCPC Mwanthi said they would continue their investigations while cooperating with the IPOA and if any officer was found culpable, they would be arrested and justice would take its course.
Muchemi's body was taken to his rural home in Turbo, Uasin Gishu County, on Tuesday (December 18). Burial is set for Friday.
