IMLU SOUNDS ALARM OVER RISING DEATHS IN CUSTODY, CALLS FOR STRONGER FORENSIC ACCOUNTABILITY.
BY NJOKI KARANJA
Nairobi, November 6, 2025.
Kenya is facing growing concern over an alarming increase in deaths occurring in police custody, with the Independent Medico-Legal Unit (IMLU) warning that systemic failures in the justice system are allowing impunity to persist.
According to new data released by IMLU, 17 deaths in custody were recorded between 2024 and 2025 across at least ten counties, including Nairobi, Nakuru, Murang’a, Siaya, Mombasa, Kakamega, and Busia. In total, the organization has documented 59 deaths and facilitated 80 autopsies this year through its forensic documentation initiatives.
Postmortem findings conducted by IMLU’s network of forensic pathologists revealed disturbing evidence of physical assault, neglect, and possible cover-ups. Causes of death ranged from cardiorespiratory failure due to multiple injuries and asphyxiation to blunt-force trauma and staged suicides.
“These are not isolated incidents—they reflect deep-rooted institutional failures that deny victims justice and families closure,” IMLU said in its statement, noting that many investigations into custodial deaths have stalled or been abandoned.
Each of these deaths, the organization emphasized, represents a breach of Article 26 and 29 of Kenya’s Constitution, which safeguard the right to life and protection from torture or cruel and inhuman treatment.
In response, IMLU, with support from the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT), has launched a three-day forensic training workshop aimed at strengthening the capacity of Kenyan pathologists and lawyers to investigate and document torture and deaths in custody.
The training, led by Prof. Dr. Djordje Alempijevic, former head of Forensic Medicine at Belgrade University and member of the UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture, and Prof. James Lin, Istanbul Protocol Programme Coordinator at IRCT, focuses on global best practices such as the Istanbul Protocol and Minnesota Protocol—international standards for investigating torture and unlawful deaths.
“Forensic documentation is the cornerstone of accountability—it transforms pain into proof and evidence into justice,” IMLU stated, underscoring the need for professionalism and independence in death investigations.
The organization also criticized the government for delaying the operationalization of the National Coroner Services Act (2017), which was designed to create an independent body to investigate reportable deaths. The law remains dormant, largely due to administrative hurdles and the absence of a Cabinet Secretary for Justice, leaving police and state pathologists to handle investigations—a situation IMLU says compromises impartiality.
Together with the Police Reforms Working Group–Kenya (PRWG-K) and the Department of Justice, IMLU is urging swift implementation of the Act, arguing that a functioning coroner system is essential to restoring public trust and ensuring justice for victims and their families.
“Every death in custody must be investigated independently, and every family deserves answers,” IMLU said. “Accountability must no longer be an afterthought but the standard. Each life lost in state custody is not just a statistic—it is a call to action for justice and reform.”
