Eric Otieno killing : Family demands release of CCTV clips at Muthaiga police station

Slain 19 year old Erick Otieno. [Courtesy] 

The family of the slain Eric Otieno and human rights activist were yesterday mounting pressure on the National Police Service to release CCTV footages from Muthaiga police station.

Otieno aged 19 died under unclear circumstances after being detained at Muthaiga police station following his arrest along Thika Road.

Speaking on behalf of the family, Lawyer Alvin Attalo said investigators must urgently secure the CCTV footage, Occurrence Book extracts and hospital records before they are altered or lost.

“We need CCTV footage from the time he was arrested up to the time he was released. We also need the OB extracts because, in the absence of those records, information can be cooked,” Attalo said.

According to the family, Otieno was arrested on Saturday, August 1, near KCA University and taken to Muthaiga Police Station, where they claim he was beaten and left for dead.

Their demands come after a postmortem found that Otieno suffered fatal internal injuries consistent with blunt force trauma to the abdomen, findings that have deepened public concern over alleged police brutality.

 His brother, Arnold Otieno who visited him after the arrest, said the deceased repeatedly asked to be helped out of custody, claiming he had been assaulted and was unable to walk properly.

 The family says police demanded Sh10,000 for his release, amount they couldn’t raise at the time.

That was until the night of August 2, 2026 where the family said he was released in bad state and Otieno vomited blood before he was rushed to Mama Margaret hospital where he died on arrival.

The family says it has not yet been shown any formal charge sheet explaining the offence for which Otieno had been held.

“The only thing we were told is that allegedly the crime he was to have committed was preparation to commit a felony. There is nothing concrete in that regard,” Attalo said.

Yesterday reports from the Muthaiga police station claimed that Otieno was booked at the station around 1:30 pm and with allegations that he was criminal linked to phone snatching.

A photo of him taken outside portrayed that he was found in possession of a knife but he was in good health; the family has however dismissed that the knife was planted on him.

Owing to public uproar, the National Police service through its spokesperson Muchiri Nyaga said the inquiry into the death of Otieno was launched by DCI officers to establish the full circumstances of surrounding the tragic incident.

Nyaga added that Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) had taken over that case.

“The National Police Service remains steadfast in its commitment to cooperating with IPOA in conducting a thorough, impartial and timely investigations,” Muchiri stated

Former Law Society of Kenya President Faith Odhiambo said the matter must be treated urgently and transparently, warning against any attempt to cover up the circumstances of Otieno’s death.

“We want the CCTV footage obtained immediately by IPOA and the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights so that this evidence is not tampered with,” she said.

At the same time, Odhiambo called for the preservation of OB records and hospital documentation, saying the family believes Otieno complained of injuries while still in custody and may have been taken to hospital before being returned to the station.

“We do not want this to become another scenario where there is an attempt to cover up after a life has been lost,” she said.

The family’s legal team says it wants every officer involved in the arrest and detention identified, including the arresting officers, cell sentries and commanders at Muthaiga Police Station.

They say the station has so far only provided OB reference numbers, but not the extracts themselves.

Hussein Khalid, the CEO VOCAL Africa, said Otieno’s death reflects a wider pattern of police-related killings and urged IPOA to act more decisively.

“It is very sad that we are yet again condemning a police-related killing,” Khalid said, noting that the country is now recording dozens of police-related deaths each year

He questioned why officers implicated in such deaths remain free while investigations drag on.

“The officers alleged to have killed Eric Otieno are still out there. As we speak, they are walking freely while looking for their next victim,” he said, challenging IPOA to prove that it is fulfilling its mandate.

 “We want to see results. We want accountability from IPOA. Why are you not executing your mandate?” he posed.

Human rights activist Wanjiru Wanjira, founder of the Mathare Social Justice Centre, said Otieno’s death has left the community angry and grieving, adding that it is part of a troubling pattern affecting young people in poor neighbourhoods.

“We refuse the normalisation of police brutality on young people in this country,” she said.

Otieno’s death has reignited debate over police accountability, coming after the death of teacher and blogger Albert Ojwang in police custody triggered national outrage and renewed calls for reforms in the National Police Service.