Alan Kamau Kimani, aged 40, died while in police custody in Migori County a few days after his arrest.

He had reportedly been taken into custody on September 25 over allegations of cutting down trees and was held at Komomwamu Police Post in Kuria West, Migori County.

Hussein Khalid, CEO of VOCAL Africa, said he was contacted by Kimani’s mother, who notified him of the incident and sought his intervention.

Mary Wambui, Kimani’s mother, added that she had first been informed of her son’s arrest through a call from a police officer, after which she went to the station to check on him.

Khalid stated that Kimani’s mother alleged she was asked to pay Ksh15,000 for his release, a sum she could not afford.

Wambui further claimed that the day after her son’s arrest, a police officer called her and allegedly threatened her with serious repercussions if she failed to raise the bail money.

“She claims she was asked to part with Ksh15,000 to have Kimani released, an amount she didn’t have. The next day, Friday, September 26, Wambui received a call from an officer at the police post who allegedly threatened her with dire consequences if she did not go with the money,” Khalid said.

She recounted that just a few hours later on the same Friday, the same officer called again, this time to inform her that her son had died.

According to Wambui, when she sought clarification on the circumstances, the officer allegedly claimed that Kimani had taken his own life while in custody.

The case occurred just days after another man was discovered dead while in custody at Mombasa Central Police Station.

Simon Warui was reported missing by his family before being confirmed dead on September 23, 2025.

An autopsy conducted by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) revealed that Warui died from cardiorespiratory collapse caused by a neck fracture or dislocation.