MOMBASA, Kenya — The mysterious death of Simon Warui at the Mombasa Central Police Station has ignited public outrage and thrust police accountability back into the national spotlight.
Warui, who was reported missing from his Nairobi home in Umoja on September 14, was later found dead in police custody on September 17 under circumstances that remain deeply contested.
The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has since moved to investigate, confirming that its officers have begun gathering evidence, interviewing witnesses, and reviewing police procedures.
A post-mortem revealed that Warui died of “cardiorespiratory collapse due to fracture-dislocation of the neck, consistent with a fall from a height.”
IPOA Chairperson Ahmed Issack Hassan assured the public that justice will be pursued, saying, “The safety and rights of individuals placed in police custody are paramount and we will work diligently to ensure justice is served.”
Yet, the official explanation has raised more questions than answers. The autopsy noted additional injuries, including ligature marks, a scalp wound, and spinal haemorrhage, findings that human rights activists say cannot be brushed aside. Witnesses also recall Warui appearing disoriented before his detention, with one nun who encountered him describing him as “not in a normal state of mind.”
The Law Society of Kenya has joined the fray, appointing an advocate to represent Warui’s family and monitor IPOA’s inquiry.
Civil society groups have amplified calls for accountability, demanding that officers linked to the case face criminal charges.
“This is not just about one man; it is about the safety of every Kenyan in police custody,” an activist declared during a vigil in Mombasa.
As IPOA appeals for calm while investigations continue, the case underscores long-standing concerns about deaths in police custody and the culture of impunity that often shields perpetrators.
For Warui’s family and the wider public, the unanswered questions are urgent: how exactly did he end up in Mombasa custody, and what led to his fatal fall?
At its heart, Warui’s death has become more than an isolated tragedy — it is a test of whether Kenya’s justice system can hold its police service accountable and restore public trust in law enforcement.
