The IPOA has launched investigations into the death of a 36-year-old fisherman named Calvins Omondi Onditi, who tragically died while in custody at the Kipasi Police Post in Mbita.
Omondi, from Ndhuru Beach, was taken into custody around midnight on Sunday, June 15, after being accused of trespassing in a goat pen. Just a few hours later, police reported that he had died by suicide, allegedly using his trousers to hang himself inside his cell.
However, this account has been met with skepticism from local residents, family members, and community leaders, including Suba North MP Millie Odhiambo, who are all calling for an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.
“This is the same pattern we saw with Albert Ojwang—picked up by police and found dead shortly after. We won’t accept another suspicious death being explained away as suicide,” said Odhiambo, visibly angered.
A relative of Omondi added, “We were shocked. One moment, we were told he was arrested and taken to Mbita. Hours later, we were told he was dead. When we arrived, we found him hanging.”
A post-mortem examination is set to take place at Homa Bay Teaching and Referral Hospital to uncover the actual cause of death. Vincent Oduor, the hospital’s CEO, mentioned that there are early indications of potential foul play.
“There are strangulation marks on his neck, and the tongue appears bitten. The trouser used as a noose is still tied. Apart from that, there are no major injuries,” Oduor explained.
