Kisumu Family in Pain as Pastor Dies in Police Custody Hours after Arrest: "We Demand Justice"
- Joseph Otieno Oduor was arrested by police from Sega Police Station after a warrant of arrest was issued against him for skipping court in an ongoing case
- Oduor, a pastor, was picked up from his home, but instead of being held at Sega, he was allegedly taken to Ukwala, and his family was reportedly told that he had taken his life
- On June 11, Oduor's family was contacted by IPOA officers who wanted to see them on suspicion that the police may have beaten up the deceased
- The police, on the other hand, insist that the middle-aged man used his t-shirt to take his life, but the family doesn't believe them; they are seeking justice
- Speaking exclusively to TUKO.co.ke, human rights expert Peter Otieno decried rising custody deaths and urged IPOA to ensure accountability
Siaya, Kenya: A family in Ukwala is in pain after their son and brother allegedly died in a police station only a few hours after he was arrested.
Source: Facebook
Why was Oduor arrested?
Speaking to TUKO.co.ke, Chrispine Oduor Okonga, the deceased's nephew, said that Joseph Otieno Oduor was arrested for allegedly assaulting a child.
"He was only found with a child and nothing of the sort was going on and just arrested. We suspect that it was because he had a previous case and the people who accused him come from a rich family," he claimed.
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When Otieno was arrested, he was allegedly taken to Sega Police Post and then transferred to Ukwala Police Station.
"He had a case in court and was released on bond. He was supposed to attend the mention of his case on May 21, but was absent on that day. A warrant of arrest was issued against him and police from Sega Police Post came and picked him," said Chrispine.
Has IPOA been notified?
A few hours after he was arrested, the family was called and told that their son and uncle was dead.
"The police said he allegedly took his life using his own t-shirt, but officials from the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) later reached out to my uncle. It is suspected that the man was beaten to death by the police officers," claimed the distraught nephew.
The family now suspects that their kin was killed and the t-shirt account was used as a cover-up.
"I have lived with him and I can say that he did not have a bad character and does not use any substance. The postmortem is due and the family is looking for money to carry it out," he said.
When Oduor was arrested, his wife packed all her belongings and left with their kids. They were working on getting back together.
Source: Facebook
Speaking exclusively to TUKO.co.ke, human rights advocate and legal expert Peter Otieno, expressed deep concern over the rising number of deaths in custody and the patterns of alleged cover-ups.
Otieno warned that if oversight institutions like IPOA do not follow through with independent investigations and prosecutions, the public will continue losing trust in law enforcement agencies.
“There is an emerging trend where victims, particularly from underprivileged backgrounds, die under mysterious circumstances in custody, and often the official explanation is suic*de. This is unacceptable. The Constitution is clear that every arrested person has a right to be treated with dignity and not to be subjected to torture or inhuman treatment. If the police are confident in their work, they should welcome transparent investigations, not conceal them,” Otieno stated.
IPOA releases number of police brutality victims
This comes just hours after the Independent Policing and Oversight Authority released the number of people who have died in police custody in the course of 2025 alone.
While appearing before the National Assembly Committee on Security to explain the progress on the investigations into Ojwang's murder, IPOA chairperson Isaac Hassan released some important information.
He disclosed that 20 people had so far died in police custody over the past six months.
While speaking on Ojwang's death, he said that there was a deliberate attempt to cover up his murder, promising that the authorities would get to the bottom of it.
He confirmed that IPOA's preliminary investigations had established that Ojwang had been tortured before being killed and had not killed himself as the police claimed.
Earlier, IPOA had disclosed that it had already interrogated five officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations and their statements recorded.
"The findings thereof shall inform the authority's further communication to the public on the progress of the investigation and recommendation to the relevant state agencies, and in particular the Director of Public Prosecutions in the event criminal culpability is established," the statement on X read in part
Albert Ojwang dies in police cell
In another story, Albert Omondi Ojwang died in police custody under unclear circumstances, raising more questions than answers.
The X influencer was arrested in Migori County on Saturday afternoon, June 7, following a controversial social media post.
Authorities claim the blogger, who doubled up as a high school teacher, injured himself while in the police cell.
Racheal Nyaguthie, HoD Human Interest, added details of IPOA
Proofreading by Mercy Nyambura, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
