The Law Society of Kenya has called for action following the alleged death in custody of Brian Njung’e, a 24-year-old student at Kiambu National Polytechnic.
Njung’e is said to have died on May 21, 2026, at Kiambu Police Station.
In a statement issued on May 23, 2026, LSK President Charles Kanjama condemned the incident and called for State action.
“When a citizen is arrested, the State assumes a strict, non-delegable constitutional custodial duty of care over their life and physical integrity. A police cell must never become a place of unexplained fatality,” he said.
Kanjama also raised concerns over the circumstances surrounding the death, including allegations that the family was denied access to Njung’e shortly before news of his death emerged, saying this “makes it imperative that there be full accountability and public disclosure of the facts.”
He added that LSK had reached out to Njung’e’s family to offer legal support and ensure a mandatory public inquest is conducted.
“We will not permit the normalization of custodial deaths or the evasion of administrative accountability,” Kanjama said.
Earlier in the week, human rights organization Vocal Africa called on the Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA) to investigate the death.
According to the human rights group, Njung’e was arrested on May 21 in the Kirigiti area of Kiambu Town.
Vocal Africa CEO Hussein Khalid said it was unclear why Njung’e had been detained by police.
According to Khalid, Brian called his mother from the police cell at around 9 a.m. after his arrest.
Concerned, the family rushed to see him shortly before noon. Upon arriving at the station, the family, including his mother, requested to see Brian but were asked to wait.
It was not until around 2 p.m. that the family received devastating news from a police officer that their son had allegedly died by suicide in the cells.
According to police, Brian was alone in the cell because the other detainees had been taken to court. It remains unclear how Brian allegedly took his own life, a claim the family disputes.