Prisoner dies after alleged beating, torture for ‘not queuing properly’

An inmate serving a life sentence at the Naivasha Maximum Prison on Thursday last week succumbed to his injuries after allegedly being beaten and tortured by prison warders.

According to reports, the prisoner – Samuel Gitahi – was allegedly pulled from the food queue and beaten for not queuing properly, after which he was thrown into an isolation cell where he eventually died.

The Independent Medico-Legal Unit (IMLU), in a press statement released Tuesday, termed the alleged actions of the prison warders as “unconstitutional and illegal,” further adding that they acted contrary to the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners.

The human rights non-profit organization is now seeking independent investigations into the death of the prisoner, further that anyone found liable be held accountable for their actions.

IMLU also wants “the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) and the National Police Service (NPS) to expedite investigations into the apparent torture and death of Samuel Gitahi and forward the report to the Director of Public Prosecution’s office for prosecution of the officers found culpable.”

“While we recognize the government’s plans for reforming the National Correctional Services and conditions in custody, it must demonstrate goodwill to improve inmates’ conditions and enact policies that promote inmates’ rights,” read the statement.

IMLU also committed to supporting the family of the deceased to carry out an independent autopsy to confirm the manner in which the death happened.