A 24-year-old man facing charges of stealing beer from his mother’s bar was found dead at the basement holding cells of the Eldoret Law Courts on Wednesday.
Collins Cheruiyot, whom police claim died by suicide, had made futile attempts to have his mother withdraw the case.
He was facing a charge of breaking into his mother’s bar in Burnt Forest trading centre in Ainabkoi Sub County and stealing beer.
“Before committing suicide (sic) in the cell, he had called his mother pleading with her to come to court to withdraw the matter, in vain,” an inmate at the cell said.
Turbo Sub County police commander Patrick Wekesa confirmed the incident, saying efforts by court orderlies and other inmates to rescue him were futile as he was pronounced dead upon arrival at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital.
"We received information that while in a holding cell, where he was alone, he removed the trouser lace and tied it to the window grills. Other inmates realized that something was amiss when the convict went silent and when they went to the cell, they found him jerking on the rope. They removed him and rushed him to MTRH where he was pronounced dead while undergoing resuscitation,” said Mr Wekesa.
His body was transferred to the MTRH mortuary as police embarked on investigations into his death and the alleged circumstances.
The late Cheruiyot first took the plea on the matter on May 27, 2024, when he pleaded guilty, before changing his plea to not guilty.
Since then, his case has been undergoing several adjournments and he has been pleading with the court to wait for his mother to withdraw the case.
On Wednesday, he appeared before Senior Resident Magistrate Kimani Mukabi who directed the matter to be mentioned on March 27 for further directions.
The charge sheet stated that on May 24, 2024, he broke into Round Point Bar with the intent to steal.
A senior officer from Eldoret's main Prison where he was in remand said that he had previously attempted to die by suicide.
An Eldoret lawyer who was among the first people to attend to the deceased has said that the majority of inmates are undergoing depression.
Lawyer Steven Ombego, a member of the Court Users' Committee said there was a need to invest in psychological counseling for inmates, especially young offenders.
“My advice to inmates with court cases is that you are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Taking your own life is ultimately putting a period into your life,” he said.
“All stakeholders must come together to offer inmates frequent mental advice. They also need to be talked to, to understand that having a case in court is not the end of life,” said Mr Ombego.
