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Teen boda boda rider left police cells, vomited blood, died
19-year-old Erick Otieno. He succumbed to internal injuries after he was allegedly beaten in the police cells at Muthaiga Police Station.
For two days, 19-year-old Erick Otieno pleaded with his family to get him out of police custody.
On the phone, he cried as he described the pain. When his elder brother finally saw him inside the cells at Muthaiga Police Station, Erick could barely stand.
Minutes after his release on cash bail late Sunday night, he vomited blood in front of his sister, struggled to walk and died on the way to hospital.
A postmortem has since revealed that he suffered massive internal bleeding caused by severe abdominal injuries, raising fresh questions about what happened to the young boda boda rider during the nearly 36 hours he spent in police custody.
His family now wants investigators to establish how the teenager sustained injuries so extensive that doctors found more than two litres of blood inside his abdomen.
Erick, the second youngest in a family of eight children, had only recently managed to recover the motorcycle he used to earn a living after it had been repossessed over loan arrears.
According to his eldest brother, Emmanuel Sakis Otieno, the teenager had struck luck through sports betting over the weekend, recovered the motorcycle and even shared part of his winnings with family and friends.
"He gave me Sh1,000 that morning and even gave some of my friends a little money," Emmanuel recalled. "He had told me he had won big and was taking the motorcycle for servicing."
The family says Erick was arrested at about 2pm on Saturday near KCA University after allegedly riding on the wrong side of the road while ferrying a passenger.
According to Emmanuel, the officers who operate in the area are known for arresting boda boda riders during traffic enforcement operations. He believes Erick was carrying cash when he was arrested after recovering his motorcycle earlier that day.
Hours later, Erick telephoned another brother, Arnold Otieno.
"Whenever Erick called me, it was usually because he was in trouble or just checking up on me," Arnold said.
During the call, Arnold says Erick told him he had been beaten by police officers using batons.
Alarmed, Arnold rushed to Muthaiga Police Station hoping to see his younger brother.
At first, he said, officers refused him access.
Erick Otieno. after his release on cash bail late Sunday night, he vomited blood in front of his sister, struggled to walk and died on the way to hospital.
"The OCS told me they were taking him to court and I would not see him," Arnold said. "I insisted but they kept dismissing me until a sergeant eventually brought Erick out."
What he saw shocked him.
"He was in so much pain. He even told the officer that his colleagues had really hurt him and he could not even stand."
Arnold recounted Erick struggled to sit on a bench beside him, complaining of severe pain.
"I could not understand how they were telling me he was fine yet he could not even stand."
While at the station, Arnold says he overheard the Officer Commanding Station directing another officer to take Erick to hospital.
When he returned the following day, police informed him that Erick had allegedly been taken to several health facilities, including Blue House, Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital and another hospital in Muthaiga. The family says they were never informed about these visits or asked for consent.
On Sunday, Erick called Emmanuel again. This time, he said police had agreed to release him on a cash bail of Sh10,000.
He also complained that he was seriously injured.
"I heard him speaking and I thought maybe it was the usual beatings that sometimes happen during arrest," Emmanuel said. "I never imagined he would die."
Believing his brother was safest inside a police station, Emmanuel asked Arnold to return and establish exactly what had happened.
His assumption, he says, was that if Erick had been injured, investigators would determine whether he had been assaulted during arrest or elsewhere.
Instead, the family said they found a young man barely able to move.
Their sister, Immaculate Atieno, paid the Sh10,000 cash bail shortly after 11.30pm on Sunday.
She narrated how officers hurried them to leave with Erick but did not issue a receipt for the payment, instead asking them to return the following day if they needed any documentation.
By then, Erick's condition had deteriorated dramatically.
"My brother could not walk," Immaculate said. "He said his ribs were hurting badly. It was like his waist had broken."
As they prepared to rush him to Mama Margaret Uhuru Hospital, Erick suddenly vomited blood.
The family cleaned him up before lifting him into the vehicle.
During the drive, Erick clutched his sister's arm from the back seat while groaning in pain.
"He kept calling my name asking me to help him," she recalled. "I told him we were only a few minutes away from the hospital. I never knew those would be the last words I would hear from my brother."
Erick Otieno.
When they reached the emergency department, hospital staff rushed over with a stretcher.
It was already too late. Doctors declared Erick dead on arrival.
Yesterday, government pathologist Dr Bernard Midia conducted the postmortem examination at Mama Margaret Uhuru Hospital.
Dr Midia said Erick died from massive internal haemorrhage caused by blunt force trauma to the abdomen.
"The spleen was ruptured and part of the bowel was injured, leading to massive internal bleeding," he said.
Additional samples have been collected as part of ongoing investigations.
The findings appear consistent with the extensive pain Erick repeatedly described to his family before his death.
Family lawyer Alvin Attalo said the examination found more than two litres of blood inside Erick's abdomen alongside multiple injuries extending from the chest to the abdomen and ankle.
He said the legal team would pursue all available remedies against anyone found responsible.
"We visited Muthaiga Police Station and saw CCTV cameras. We hope they were working because they will show how Erick entered the station, how he left and what happened while he was there," Mr Attalo said.
He also called for body-worn cameras for police officers and accountability for all officers involved in the arrest and detention.
"We know there were about five arresting officers. We want them identified and held accountable together with those responsible for the station."
Vocal Africa Executive Director Hussein Khalid described Erick's death as part of a worrying pattern of fatalities in police custody.
He urged the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (Ipoa) to expedite investigations and establish exactly how the fatal injuries occurred.
"When injuries are within the abdomen, they are not always visible externally," Mr Khalid said. "We want no stone left unturned. Any officers found culpable must face the full force of the law."
He also appealed to Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen to ensure all police stations are equipped with functioning CCTV systems, saying surveillance footage could help resolve recurring allegations surrounding deaths in custody.
A senior officer at Muthaiga police station however, said they handed Erick to his family in good shape and denied any claims of torture or beating by their officers to the teenager.
For Emmanuel, and his family however, the unanswered questions remain painfully simple.
His younger brother had entered police custody alive. Less than two days later, he emerged unable to walk, vomiting blood and fatally injured. The family now waits for investigators to explain how that happened.
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