Suspicious Death as Man Dies by Own Shirt in Thika Police Cell

On December 12, Samuel Kimamo Muchemi, a 34-year-old man from Thika, was found dead the morning following Jamhuri Day celebrations in Muchatha, Kiambu County.

Muchemi had been spending the day socializing with friends, including Charles Kung’u, and had planned to stay overnight at Kung’u’s residence to avoid the risk of driving late at night after consuming alcohol. The evening took a concerning turn when Muchemi was approached by the local chief and police officers.

Charles received a phone call about the incident and quickly went to the scene, where he discovered his friend engaged in a heated dispute with the authorities. Despite his attempts to de-escalate the situation, Charles was dismissed and left, anticipating he would collect Muchemi from the police station the following morning.

However, the situation escalated further. The next day, Charles learned that Muchemi had been transferred to the Kiambu Law Courts. Meanwhile, Muchemi’s wife was contacted by police regarding his arrest, prompting elder brother Daniel Maina to rush to the police station. There, Maina was informed of his brother's death, allegedly by suicide using his own shirt.

This claim has been met with scepticism by Muchemi's family, who struggle to understand how he could take his own life in a cell under constant police observation. Compounding their disbelief is the police's account of the events leading up to the arrest, which describes a rapid-response team led by the chief.

Kiambaa Sub-County Police Commander Pius Mwanthi has acknowledged the case and confirmed that initial investigations are underway, awaiting post-mortem results to provide further clarity. Muchemi's family is urgently calling for an investigation to deliver transparency and accountability in what they believe to be a suspicious death.

Maina expresses a deep sense of betrayal, stating, “Police stations should be the safest of places in this country, not where people go and never walk out.”