Stakeholders call for reforms to curb custodial suicide

Stakeholders in the judicial system have raised the alarm over rising suicide cases among suspects in police custody.

The latest incident happened at Chogoria Police Station in Tharaka Nithi County, where a 30-year-old murder suspect died by suicide.

County police boss Zacchaeus Ng’eno said the suspect, James Muthaura, had been on the run for over a year after allegedly killing his five-year-old son whose body was found in Tungu River.

Ng’eno claimed that the suspect waylaid the boy and took him to an unknown place before his body was found. The deceased was a pupil at Kiurani Primary in Maara Sub County.
The police have been hunting for Muthaura since July 2023 and nabbed him in Nyeri County.

He was also being sought for assaulting his wife and others after a disagreement.

“Unfortunately this morning he committed suicide while in police custody,” said Ng’eno, adding that his body was removed to the Chuka Level Five hospital.

His is among suspects dying by suicide in police cells, underscoring the severity of the issue.

In July last year, a 35-year-old defilement suspect who was being held at Ainamoi Police Station took his life just before his arraignment.

In November 2024, a murder suspect died by suicide at Kiamaciri Police Station in Kirinyaga while in the same month, a robbery suspect took his life at the Nyatieko Police Station in Kisii.

However, a section of family and friends of the deceased have suspected foul play and believe the suicide cases could be a cover-up by police.

The World Health Organisation reports that prisoners are up to 10 times more likely to die by suicide than people outside prison.

Dr Elijah Kirimi, a consultant and lecturer of psychology and criminology, and John Baidoo, a lawyer-cum human rights advocate, said the rise in suicide among suspects in Kenya’s police cells demands immediate attention.

“It is important to recognise that certain individuals are more susceptible to suicide in custody than others. Various factors, including the nature of the crime, psychological vulnerabilities, and the conditions of confinement, contribute to this heightened risk. For instance, suspects charged with offenses that carry significant social stigma, such as defilement, rape, or sexual crimes against minors, are particularly vulnerable,” Kirimi said.