Authorities are investigating circumstances under which a businessman died in a police custody shortly after he was arrested by officers in Buruburu on Thursday evening.
Washington Booker Ojukwu was arrested after he differed with an Mpesa agent at the Buruburu shopping centre after he claimed that he had withdrawn some money which he never collected, prompting the agent to alert the police.
Investigations have been launched to establish what transpired with preliminary reports indicating that he died in the hands of the police who then removed the body to Mama Lucy hospital mortuary.
Witnesses said the deceased was beaten by two officers, who they can positively identify, when he was arrested.
Nairobi police boss Adamson Bungei said they are investigating the incident.
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Ojukwu, according to a message, withdrew Sh7,000 from an Mpsa agent at 1.42pm on May 11.
According to the agent, she gave the deceased who was accompanied by a mechanic the cash and they left.
She reported that the man, who is well known to him for years and looked somewhat intoxicated, came back and said he withdrew the money but he never collected it.
A commotion ensued and the agent called officers from the Buruburu Community policing police booth, located about 30 metres from the shop.
The officers came took him to the police booth.
The deceased protested asking why he was being arrested and all he wanted was his money.
“A long the way, he resisted and firmly held a metallic post, a few metres from the booth, prompting the officers to use some force,” a witness said.
One of the deceased’s friends said they could hear someone screaming from the booth but they never imagined it was him.
“We however suspected there was something wrong when a police vehicle came and reversed too close to the booth’s door and officers blocked the locals from coming close to the booth,” a witness said.
A tea girl who had served the officers with tea was also blocked from getting into the booth when she went back to collect the cups.
The locals believe the deceased died while in the hands of the police.
The family has engaged the Independent Medico-Legal Unit (IMLU) to help them in pursuing the matter.
Police are supposed to report such death to Independent Policing Oversight Authority who said they had launched a probe into the incident.
However, in most cases it is the victim’s family that informed the oversight bodies, as police try to hide the the deaths.
