Kenyans Want to Know Cause of Deaths in Police Custody

By Robby Ngoba

Email, thecoastnewspaper@gmail.co

The death of 25-year-old Lucky Okoth is raising more questions than answers after he lost his life under unclear circumstances at police station custody in Malindi Subcounty of Kilifi County.

Barely three days after being arrested on allegations of abduction, the deceased died following his by directorate of criminal investigations (DCI) detectives on April 14, 2026.

He was accused of abducting a 17-year-old girl whose father is a senior officer at the Malindi Government of Kenya prison.

On April 15, 2026, he was arraigned at the Malindi Law Court where the detectives were granted 30 days to complete their investigation, but the accused died on April 17 at Malindi Police Station.

Police report indicates that the deceased committed suicide by hanging himself in the cell using an improvised rope made from pieces of cloth.

”Lucky Odhiambo Okoth, a luo male adult aged 25 years, was found dangling on an improvised rope made from pieces of cloth tied to the metal rod of the ventilation window in one of the rooms,” read the report in part.

According to the report, on the early morning of April 17 a sentry who was taking over the day’s report office duties from the night team saw the deceased and alerted the Subcounty police commander (SCPC) and the Subcounty criminal investigation officer [SCCIO] who visited the scene.

The report indicates that there were 21 other prisoners held in custody at the time of the incident, however, it was established that the deceased was sleeping in alone room.

The deceased’s body had no visible injuries save for rope impression marks on the neck.

”The scene was processed, no suicide note recovered and the body with no visible injuries save for rope impression marks on the neck consistent with the said suicide act was taken to Malindi Sub-County Hospital mortuary awaiting autopsy,” says the police report.

The incident started after girl was reported missing on April 11, 2026 by her father that led to detectives swing into action before realising the victim was communicating with unknown individuals using two mobile phone numbers before her disappearance.

What initially appeared as a missing person case quickly turned into a confirmed abduction after the suspect contacted the family demanding a Ksh200,000 ransom while issuing threats to harm the victim.

Unknown to the investigators, the father went ahead and sent Ksh100,000 to secure his daughter’s release.

The suspect withdrew Ksh1,000 from a Mpesa agent in Maweni area which prompted the detectives to close in on the suspect who was immediately arrested.

The young girl, later resurfaced at their home in Silversands within Malindi a few minutes after the money was sent. The father rushed her to Malindi Subcounty Hospital for medical checkup.

Police reports indicate that the minor had colluded with the suspect to fake the abduction incident so as to defraud her father.

Upon interrogation by the detectives, the victim disclosed that on April 13, she spent a night in a rented house with the deceased after her alleged abduction.

A jacket belonging to the victim was recovered by the detectives when they visited the scene.

The investigation team also revealed that on April 7, the deceased and the victim spent a night at a guest house in Alaskan Area within Malindi town and she went back home before her disappearance on 12th April.

”Investigators have since established that the girl sneaked out from her family home that night and spent the night with her boy friend Lucky Okoth and left in the morning back to her parents.

The same lovers went back on the night of April 11-12 and again comfortably spent the night in the same lodging. Records at the guest house confirmed the same. The two scenes have been processed, documented and the two recorded their detailed statements,” reads the police report.

Until his death, detectives were still investigating to establish how the deceased was able to register two sim cards from Safaricom and Airtel using other people’s identification cards as well as getting response from National Registration Bureau on finger prints impressions of the deceased to confirm his true identity because he did not have an official ID.

”The victim’s treatment report indicates that nothing unusual was noted by the medics during the medical review and as recorded in the PRC Form.”