A 35-year-old fisherman from Suba North Sub-County has been found dead in a police cell under controversial circumstances, sparking uproar and suspicion among family members.
According to Homa Bay County Police Commander Lawrence Koilem, the deceased, Calvins Omondi, was arrested shortly after midnight on Saturday, June 14, after he was allegedly caught performing a sexual act with a goat at a neighbor’s homestead in Kipasi.
“He was found naked, he had committed a natural crime. The area chief and residents arrested him and brought him to the station. We called the DCI and IPOA to assess the area,” Koilem told reporters on Sunday.
Commander Koilem added that Omondi was being held temporarily at Kipasi Police Station pending transfer to Mbita Police Station due to the late hour. He claimed Omondi used his trousers to hang himself from cell bars.
“The man hanged himself out of fear and shame. He did not want to go back to the community,” Koilem added.
But the family isn’t convinced.
“We were first told he had been taken to Mbita, only to be informed moments later that he had committed suicide at Kipasi,” said Geoffrey Ochieng, the deceased’s brother. “When we arrived at the station, we found him hanging, but we doubt he took his own life. We believe he might have been killed elsewhere and staged to look like suicide.”
The family has called for an independent investigation, saying they suspect foul play.
Omondi’s body has been moved to Homa Bay County Referral Hospital morgue awaiting a postmortem examination as investigations commence.
The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) is expected to probe the incident.
