Mystery surrounds the death of a 28-year-old Nakuru man who died two days after being remanded at the Nakuru GK Prison for failing to raise cash bail.
Dennis Kiprotich, a matatu tout, was arrested on March 21 by plainclothes officers after a confrontation with a passenger in a Nakuru town stage.
He was then taken to Nakuru Central Police Station where he spent the weekend before being arraigned on March 25 and pleaded not guilty to charges of assault and injuring the passenger contrary to section 251 of the Penal Code.
Particulars in the charge sheet indicated that on February 28 at Nakuru township in Nakuru East, Kiprotich assaulted and injured Stanley Kibuku Njoroge.
Kiprotich pleaded not guilty to the charges and was released on a Sh10,000 bond with surety, but failed to raise the amount. He was remanded at Nakuru GK Prison where he later died under unclear circumstances.
Denis Kiprotich, 28, a Nakuru-based tout who died mysteriously while at the Nakuru GK prison on March 27, 2025.
Photo credit: Boniface Mwangi | Nation Media Group
His family, colleagues, and human rights activists are now demanding answers citing visible injuries on his body and a lack of proper communication about his condition while in custody.
According to Kiprotich’s elder sister Judith Chebet, he called her on March 25 distressed and seeking help to raise Sh3,000 for his release.
She referred him to their mother who sent the money. An hour later, he called again, this time saying he needed Sh10,000 or risk being taken to prison.
“I didn’t have the money, so I told him to be patient. He explained that he had only tried to help a woman carrying an infant find space in a vehicle before it rained but a passenger accused him of assault,” Chebet recalled.
The family unable to raise the bond expected him to remain in remand until they could secure his release.
According to Chebet, on March 28, she received the devastating news that her brother was dead and his body had been moved to Nakuru Teaching and Referral Hospital mortuary.
She says there had been no prior communication about him being unwell or in distress while in prison.
At the mortuary, attendants informed her that officers from Nakuru GK Prison had brought in the body, and upon viewing it, she noticed visible injuries on his chest, head, hands, and back raising suspicions that he had been tortured.
“He was a healthy young man. How does someone suddenly die in custody without any explanation? When we last spoke he didn’t mention being sick. We demand answers from the police and prison authorities,” Chebet said.
Kiprotich, a tout for 15 years, had never been known to quarrel or fight, according to his family and colleagues.
His colleague, Virginia Wangechi recalled that on March 21 at 7pm, two plainclothes officers arrested Kiprotich at their usual stage accompanied by the passenger who had accused him of assault.
Despite her efforts to resolve the matter, the passenger insisted on pressing charges.
“We tried to settle it, but he refused. Three weeks later Kiprotich was arrested. Now he’s gone. He was a good person and we will miss him,” she said.
Another colleague John Kimemia called for a thorough investigation arguing that touts often endure mistreatment from passengers.
“Passengers always assume they are right, but touts are human too. They deserve respect. We just want justice,” he said.
Nakuru-based human rights activist David Kuria called for an independent probe into what he describes as a possible cover-up by prison authorities.
He revealed that an officer had initially contacted the family stating that Kiprotich was unwell. However, later, the message changed and they were instead directed to the mortuary.
Kuria has enlisted the Independent Medico-Legal Unit (IMLU) to provide a pathologist to oversee the postmortem and ensure transparency in determining the cause of death.
“I have spoken with the family and they want to wait for Kiprotich’s mother to travel from Nairobi before proceeding with the postmortem. They prefer it to be done on Thursday ahead of his burial on Friday,” he said.
On Tuesday, Nakuru GK Prison in-charge Gerald Gichunge confirmed Kiprotich was admitted to the facility on March 26 at 1pm and underwent standard procedures before being placed in the new admission block.
According to Mr Gichunge, Kiprotich appeared fine in court but began showing withdrawal symptoms while being transported to prison.
“He was restless at night and kept pacing around before finally sleeping near the door. The next morning, his fellow inmates noticed he was unresponsive and alerted officers,” he said.
The prison nurse determined he had breathing complications and he was rushed to Nakuru Teaching and Referral Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
“We do not know what happened. Even if he had withdrawal symptoms that alone cannot kill someone. We want the autopsy to give us clear answers. He was brought in as a prison remandee after he was charged with assault, he was due for a court appearance on April 7,” he said
