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Man dies in Nakuru police cell after being detained over Sh8,000 debt
A family is seeking justice after their relative died in police custody on October 7, 2025 in Rongai, Nakuru County.
A family in Solai is seeking justice after their relative died in police custody on October 7, 2025 in Rongai Sub-county, Nakuru County.
According to the police, 40-year-old Erick Kiptanui Koros, a boda-boda rider, allegedly died by suicide while in custody at Solai Police Post. The family alleges a cover-up.
Mr Philip Kirongon, a relative, said Mr Kiptanui was arrested on Tuesday following a dispute with his business partner who reported him to the police. The deceased owed the complainant Sh8,000.
In a phone interview, Mr Kirongon said that the officers visited his home and found Mr Koros repairing his motorcycle, and they asked him to accompany them to the station. That was the last time he was seen alive by his family.
At around 8pm, the officers and the area chief stormed the compound and requested Koros's wife to accompany them to the station without disclosing the reason.
“At the station, she was told that her husband had hanged himself using a strap of a duvet. He was okay when he left home; he was not sick or in distress. He told his wife not to worry as he thought he would handle the situation and come back home later, but we were shocked that he was no more,” he said.
According to Mr Kirongon, the rest of the family was called in after the body had been taken to Nakuru City Mortuary.
“We will conduct a post-mortem to know what really transpired before he died. We were shocked when the wife called the rest of us to the station, only to be told that he is no more. They were friends; we do not know their business and how they ended up lending each other money,” he added.
Read: 'Suicide’ in police cell? Outrage in Nyandarua after man dies in police custody hours after arrest
Rongai Sub-county Criminal Investigations Officer, Donatta Atieno, said that the suspect was booked at the station at around 3.30pm.
She said that 30 minutes later, officers who were on duty found him dead inside the cell. She added that the matter is under investigation.
“We will forward the matter to the Independent Policing and Oversight Authority. We are waiting for the family to come forward and record a statement on Friday,” she said.
