Questions continue to surround the death of a young student who allegedly died by suicide while being held at Kiambu Police Station, with his family now demanding an independent investigation into the incident.
The family says the circumstances surrounding his death are suspicious and inconsistent, and they want authorities to establish exactly what happened while he was in police custody.
The deceased, identified as Brian Njunge Ndungu, was an architecture student at Kiambu National Polytechnic (KINAP). Relatives said he had recently moved into an apartment in Kiambu and was preparing to continue with his studies after completing part of his course.
According to the family, Brian had been arrested over allegations that he stole several household items from a neighbour, including a MacBook laptop, a gas cylinder, a computer mouse and two umbrellas.
Speaking outside Kiambu Police Station, Brian’s sister, Claire Njambi, said the family first became aware of the matter after her brother allegedly received a phone call from a man who introduced himself as a DCI officer.
Claire claimed the caller questioned her about Brian before ending the conversation after an argument.Later, their mother reportedly received another call informing her that Brian had been arrested and detained at the station.
The family immediately travelled there and arrived shortly before noon.Claire said that while they were waiting outside an office, they noticed police officers speaking casually with another man believed to be a caretaker.
She claimed the situation became unusual when two women, one identified as a chaplain and another as a counsellor, entered and began speaking to them in a manner that appeared similar to grief counselling before informing them that Brian had died.
The family was later escorted to the holding cells where they allegedly found Brian alone in a cell hanging against a wall. Claire claimed they noticed blood stains on his clothes, bleeding from his nose and excessive sweating on his body, details they say raised further questions about his death.
Brian’s mother, Susan Wambui, described her son as a quiet young man and said she did not believe he could have stolen the items mentioned by police.
She called for transparent investigations and demanded justice for her son.
The family also questioned details surrounding the alleged complainant and the apartment involved in the case.
Claire claimed police told them the complainant lived on the ground floor while Brian occupied the first floor. However, after visiting the apartment, the family said they discovered the complainant actually lived on the first floor while Brian stayed on the second floor.
They further questioned the identity of the alleged caretaker who reportedly contacted them, saying some tenants claimed the apartment rarely had a caretaker.
Brian’s brother, Alan Karanja, accused officers of mistreating him while in custody and called for accountability. The family has appealed to the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) and other agencies to carry out independent investigations.
By Friday evening, police had not publicly released a detailed explanation regarding the events leading to Brian’s death.
The family said they had already recorded statements and opened an OB report as they continue to seek answers.
