Police trade blame over death of tout in Nakuru GK remand
Denis Kiprotich, 28, a Nakuru-based tout who died mysteriously while at the Nakuru GK prison on March 27, 2025.
The mysterious death of 28-year-old matatu tout Dennis Kiprotich while in custody has exposed deep cracks between two Nakuru police commands, with officers from Nakuru East and Nakuru West shifting blame over who should be held responsible.
Kiprotich died on March 27, just a day after he was remanded at Nakuru GK Prison, sparking an uproar from his family and rights groups.
While the family suspects he was tortured while in police custody at the Central Police Station, officers from the two sub-counties are locked in a jurisdictional dispute that threatens to derail investigations into his death.
Kiprotich was arrested by plain clothes officers on March 21 and booked at Nakuru Central Police Station where he spent the weekend.
He was arraigned on March 25 at the Nakuru Law Courts where he pleaded not guilty to charges of assault causing actual bodily harm, contrary to Section 251 of the Penal Code.
The charge sheet stated that on Februay 28 in Nakuru East sub-county, he unlawfully assaulted Stanley Kibuku Njoroge.
Kiprotich could not raise the Sh10,000 cash bail and was transferred to Nakuru GK Prison on March 26. He was scheduled to appear in court again on Monday April 7.
However, on the morning of March 27, his fellow remandees noticed he was unresponsive during morning prayers.
Prison officers rushed him to Nakuru Teaching and Referral Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
A postmortem conducted by government pathologist Dr Titus Ngulungu last week revealed that Kiprotich died from severe head trauma. He also had multiple injuries on his elbows and lower back, consistent with signs of physical abuse.
As the family seeks answers, confusion is reigning over which police unit should take responsibility.
Nakuru East Sub-County Deputy Police Commander Sheila Kegode said detectives from Nakuru West DCI were handling the case as her officers were not involved in the postmortem exercise.
“I don’t even know the cause of death because none of my officers attended the autopsy. The matter is being handled by our counterparts,” Ms Kegode told Nation.africa.
Judith Chebet, sister of Denis Kiprotich,28, a Nakuru-based tout during an interview on March 27, 2025.
But Nakuru West Sub-County Police Commander Stephen Kirui argued that the responsibility lies with Nakuru Central Police Station where Kiprotich was held after his arrest.
He said his officers are only involved in the case since the prison department reported the death report at the station.
“If he sustained injuries while in custody at Central Police Station, then that station should be investigating the assault claims,” said Mr Kirui.
Kiprotich’s mother Beatrice Ngugi said she was allowed to speak with some of his fellow inmates who told her he had not slept and had complained of being tortured at the police station.
“He said he was beaten badly while in custody,” said Ms Ngugi, a widow.
The Independent Medico-Legal Unit (IMLU) has demanded an independent probe to uncover what transpired while Kiprotich was in custody.
“The deceased was tortured, the postmortem showed that he had multiple injuries, there was also a blood clot on his backbone. It is painful to see a mother crying; she is a widow. The complainant should also be held accountable he said that he wanted Kiprotich to be held disciplined,” he said