The death of a Mathare boda boda rider just hours after walking out of Muthaiga Police Station has sparked renewed scrutiny of police conduct, with the Law Society of Kenya demanding an independent investigation into claims that he was assaulted while in custody.
The incident has also drawn public anger after a post-mortem linked his death to serious internal injuries, prompting fresh calls for accountability from oversight agencies.
Eric Otieno was arrested on Saturday, August 1, 2026, over allegations of preparation to commit a felony. He was released on cash bail the following day but died while being taken to hospital after his condition rapidly worsened.
His family said Otieno repeatedly complained of severe pain after leaving the police station and told them he had been beaten by officers during his detention. They said they immediately rushed him for treatment, but he was pronounced dead on arrival.
The incident has attracted widespread attention, with residents gathering outside Muthaiga Police Station in Nairobi on Tuesday to demand answers over what led to his death.
The Law Society of Kenya has now urged the Internal Affairs Unit of the National Police Service, the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) and the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) to begin immediate investigations and preserve all evidence linked to the case.
"The tragedy involving the unlawful killing of Eric Otieno at Muthaiga Police Station deserves strong and forceful steps both by the Internal Affairs Unit of the Kenya Police, IPOA and by KNCHR. We expect to see clear steps to secure the scene, the suspects and the exhibits. Let the relevant agencies give a clear statement on the matter," Kanjama said, assuring the family of full support.
According to the family, Otieno had been arrested along Thika Road before being taken to Muthaiga Police Station. They said they received a call informing them that he had been granted cash bail and should be picked up, only to find him in obvious pain.
His elder brother, Emmanuel Sakis, said the family initially believed Otieno was safe in police custody while they looked for money to secure his release. However, he said Otieno disclosed that the officers who arrested him had assaulted him.
"He was crying that his body, including the stomach, was aching. I thought they were just normal pains. I assumed, knowing he was safe in custody as we worked to find a way of bailing him out. He was saying that officers who arrested him were the ones who beat him. They were five officers," Sakis said.
The family further claimed that officers first demanded a cash bail of Sh10,000 before lowering it to Sh6,000, after which Otieno was released.
A post-mortem examination established that Otieno died from massive internal bleeding caused by injuries to organs in the abdomen. Government pathologist Dr Bernard Midia said the examination found a ruptured spleen and injuries to the bowel, which resulted in fatal internal haemorrhage.
"Eric died of a massive internal haemorrhage in the abdomen due to injury to organs therein, and this was due to trauma to the abdomen. The spleen was the spleen was was ruptured, and also part of the bowel was injured, orchestrating the bleeding, the internal bleeding," government pathologist Dr Bernard Midia, who conducted the postmortem examination, said.
The family has appealed to IPOA to take over investigations, saying Otieno's life might have been saved had he been given medical care instead of remaining in custody while they searched for bail money.
Former LSK President Faith Odhiambo said the latest incident reflects a worrying pattern of deaths linked to police custody and should not be dismissed as an isolated case.
"Another life lost in police custody. Another family left with questions. Another silence where there should be accountability. The death of a boda boda rider from Mathare after detention at Muthaiga Police Station is not an isolated tragedy; it echoes the unresolved shadow of Albert Ojwang’s death. How many more names must we turn into hashtags before we confront the truth?" she posed.
She said police stations are meant to guarantee the safety of everyone held in custody and reminded authorities that the responsibility to protect detainees rests with the State.
"Police cells must never become waiting rooms for death. They are spaces of lawful custody, not unrecorded endings. When the State takes a citizen into its hands, it assumes a duty of care, not a license for cruelty, neglect or disappearance," she said.
Odhiambo warned that public confidence in the justice system would continue to suffer if those responsible for such incidents were not held accountable.
"Justice must not be begged for. It must be demanded, enforced, and seen," Odhiambo said.