Download the statement here: https://www.imlu.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IMLU-Press-Statement-on-IG-Kanja-Interdiction-Directive.pdf
PRESS STATEMENT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
STATEMENT ON THE DIRECTIVE BY INSPECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE DOUGLAS KANJA ON CUSTODIAL DEATHS AND ACCOUNTABILITY
Nairobi, 14th August 2026
The Independent Medico Legal Unit (IMLU) welcomes the recent directive issued by the Inspector General of Police, Douglas Kanja, ordering the immediate interdiction of officers on duty, including the Occurrence Book (O.B.) handler, the cell sentry, and the duty officer, whenever a suspect dies in police custody. This decision marks a necessary and firm step toward curtailing custodial impunity, restoring public trust, and upholding the fundamental constitutional rights to life, human dignity, and protection from cruel or degrading treatment while in state custody.
Deaths in places of detention represent a grave human rights violation and a breach of the state’s duty to protect individuals under its care. In 2025, IMLU documented 20 deaths in places of detention. So far this year, IMLU has documented 20 deaths in police custody, highlighting a concerning pattern that demands urgent systemic intervention.
In response to the 20 cases documented in 2026, IMLU has actively intervened to provide crucial support and seek accountability:
- Demographics: The victims comprise 19 adults (18 males and 1 female) aged between 25 and 64 years, as well as an infant boy who was accompanying his mother in custody.
- Forensic documentation: Out of the 20 documented cases, IMLU supported 18 with forensic autopsies and detailed medico-legal documentation.
- Autopsy findings: Forensic autopsy reports reveal three clear causes of death among the victims: 8 died from suffocation caused by hanging or neck compression; 5 succumbed to severe physical violence and blunt force trauma, including critical head injuries; and 5 died from underlying medical conditions, such as severe high blood pressure, diabetes, ulcers, and internal infections, that deteriorated fatally due to neglect, poor detention conditions, and a lack of timely medical care.
- Psychosocial support: Recognizing the deep emotional toll on surviving relatives, IMLU provided family therapy to 13 of the families (comprising 12 male relatives and 1 female relative). During these counseling sessions, therapists addressed key psychological issues manifesting among the bereaved, including severe loss and grief, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and acute anxiety.
We express our profound gratitude to the brave individuals, families, community members, civil society organizations, and human rights defenders who consistently bring these cases to our attention. Documenting these abuses is the first vital step toward achieving justice. We encourage families and communities to remain vigilant, stand up against human rights violations in places of detention, and continuously report any instances of police misconduct, torture, or custodial deaths to IMLU and relevant oversight mechanisms.
These disturbing figures and forensic findings underscore a systemic crisis that demands urgent and decisive action.
To ensure IG Kanja’s directive translates into genuine justice and institutional reform, we make the following calls to action:
1. Prompt, independent, and exhaustive investigations into all deaths and cases of torture in places of detention. Oversight mechanisms, including the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), must be provided with unhindered access, full cooperation, and adequate resources to establish the truth and facilitate swift criminal prosecutions.
2. The operationalization of the National Coroners Service Act. Establishing an independent National Coroners Service is critical to ensuring impartial forensic autopsies, cause-of-death inquiries, and inquests free from institutional bias or police interference.
3. The enforcement of both individual and command accountability. While individual officers directly involved in violence or negligence must face criminal prosecution, station commanders and regional supervisors must also be held legally and disciplinarily accountable for failing to prevent, deter, or report misconduct within their jurisdictions.
IMLU remains steadfast in its commitment to driving police reform, advancing accountability, and eradicating torture, extrajudicial execution, and arbitrary detention in Kenya. We will continue to monitor the enforcement of this directive, advocate for structural policy changes, and offer support to victims and survivors of police misconduct to ensure that human rights and the rule of law remain paramount across all law enforcement agencies.
ENDS
