An autopsy on 33-year-old Bernard Cheruiyot who died in police custody has revealed that he succumbed to severe head injuries.
Cheruiyot had been arrested on March 27 for allegedly threatening a neighbour, and held at Keringet Police Station in Kuresoi South ahead of his scheduled court appearance. He died two days later.
Government pathologist, Dr Titus Ngulungu, who conducted the examination at Olenguruone Sub-County Hospital, attributed the death to blunt force trauma that caused a severe brain injury.
Dr Ngulungu noted the injuries were consistent with a fatal assault and highlighted additional soft tissue trauma across the body.
Shandevine Chebet, widow Bernard Cheruiyot who died in a cell Keringet Police Station, addressing media on March 31, 2026.
Photo credit: Boniface Mwangi | Nation Media Group
“As a result of my examination, I have formed the opinion that the cause of death was severe head injury attended by global brain contusion and subdural hematoma due to blunt trauma,” the report stated.
The autopsy was conducted in the presence of family and human rights defenders. David Kuria of the Independent Medico-Legal Unit argued the findings point directly to torture, contradicting initial police claims that the injuries were self-inflicted. Kuria noted multiple injuries on the deceased’s legs and back that could not have resulted from the victim "banging his head against cell walls" as authorities suggested.
Kuria called on the Inspector General of Police and the Independent Policing Oversight Authority to expedite investigations, questioning how an inmate could be beaten to death without the knowledge of officers on duty. He characterized the incident as part of a disturbing trend of custodial deaths in Nakuru County, citing at least five similar cases in the past year that remain unresolved.
Nakuru County Police Commander Samuel Boit maintained that Cheruiyot died while receiving treatment. He stated that a sentry reported a "disturbed" prisoner on the night of March 29, but claimed Cheruiyot told officers he was fine despite a swollen forehead. Although a nurse reportedly declared him “out of danger” earlier that night, his condition deteriorated by 6 am, and he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival at the hospital.
Cheruiyot's family rejected this narrative, citing negligence and foul play.
The incident echoes the death of Albert Ojwang, a teacher who also died in police custody under suspicious circumstances. Much like Cheruiyot, Ojwang was detained following a social media post that addressed the Deputy Inspector-General of Police Eliud Lagat in 2025.
