NAIROBI, Kenya- The Law Society of Kenya has condemned the death of 24-year-old Brian Njung’e while in police custody at Kiambu Police Station, describing the circumstances surrounding the incident as “deeply suspicious.”
In a statement, LSK President Charles Kanjama said the State bears full constitutional responsibility for the safety and wellbeing of any person placed under police detention.
“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,” Kanjama said.
Brian Njung’e, a student at Kiambu National Polytechnic, reportedly died hours after being arrested and booked at the police station.
According to earlier accounts shared by the family and human rights activists, Brian had called his mother from the police station at around 9am informing her of his arrest.
The family later rushed to the station seeking to see him but allegedly waited for hours before police informed them that he had allegedly committed suicide inside the cells.
Police reportedly claimed Brian was alone in the cell at the time because other detainees had been taken to court.
However, the explanation has triggered outrage from the family, lawyers and human rights groups who insist the circumstances surrounding the death require an independent investigation.
Kanjama said reports that the family was allegedly denied access to Brian shortly before news of his death emerged raised serious questions that could not be ignored.
“The circumstances presently being reported, including the family allegedly being denied access to him shortly before news of his death emerged, make it imperative that there be full accountability and public disclosure of the facts,” he said.
The LSK president announced that the lawyers’ body was already reaching out to the family to offer legal support and push for a mandatory public inquest into the death.
“We will not permit the normalization of custodial deaths or the evasion of administrative accountability,” Kanjama added.
The case has renewed concerns over deaths occurring inside police stations and allegations of police brutality in Kenya.
Human rights groups and legal experts have repeatedly called for transparency and accountability in cases involving deaths in custody, arguing that families deserve independent investigations and justice.
Authorities are yet to release a detailed official statement on the circumstances surrounding Brian’s death.
