Inmate drown in a dry cell, leaves family confused.

The family of a man who died inside a cell at Pangani police station last Sunday, July 11, after failing to collect 200 shillings, will have to wait a long time to find the cause of his death.

On Thursday, July 16, family members, who had gone to attend the autopsy of Robert Mureithi, a charcoal trader, found that the exercise performed by Dr Peter Ndegwa in the city mortuary did not allow much.

The pathologist explained, “Although his body was showing signs of drowning, his lungs were dry and drowning was the cause of death.”

The bird continued, “Yes, he suffered a head injury on the right side of the head, but that too was not the cause of death as no internal blood was observed.”

He said the exact cause of Mureithi’s death was still unknown and experts would provide samples for further analysis.

Mureithi, 30, was reported to have fallen into a police cell in Pangani on Sunday morning, but police dismissed earlier allegations that there was an altercation between the detainees.

Starehe Police Chief Julius Kiragu said the deceased fell into a cell around 7am and warned doctors they could not save his life.

Mureithi had appeared in the Makadara court for violating the restraining order on Friday, July 9, but could not be released after failing to pay a Sh200 fine and was therefore detained at a train station over the weekend.

His father, Joseph Muriuki Kanye, arrived on Monday July 12 after he had already heard about his son’s death.

“I saw my baby for the last time in a month, and he was fine. He could not have fallen into such a dire situation as police claim. I want justice done to him. There is no one to take care of his three children and his wife, who works in Qatar, ”he said.

Human rights activists Zaina Kombo and Ruth Kinuthia of Justice Africa, who accompanied the family during the exercise, were amazed at how the deceased was drenched in custody, adding that his arms and legs were pale.

sambazanews.com