VOCAL Africa: 22 custody deaths this year — put CCTV in every police cell
Key points
- VOCAL Africa says it has documented 22 deaths in police custody in Kenya this year, some first called suicides.
- It also counts more than 70 people killed in police shootings, including 20 during fuel-price protests.
- The group wants 24-hour CCTV in all cells, footage locked against deletion, and independent probes of every death.
- Interior CS Murkomen announced a two-year station-camera policy in July 2025 after Albert Ojwang’s June 2025 death; IG Kanja has told commanders they will own their officers’ crimes.
“Every such death must be subjected to an immediate, independent and credible investigation.” Rights group VOCAL Africa said that on Friday after counting 22 deaths in Kenyan police custody this year, Eastleigh Voice reported.
The group, whose CEO is Hussein Khalid, said some cases were first called suicides and that there is often no independent record of the hours before a detainee is declared dead. It wants cameras running around the clock in cells and other custody areas, footage stored so officers cannot switch sets off or wipe files, and said the same tapes would also protect police against false claims. “There should be no reason why, in 2026, deaths continue occurring inside police stations with little or no independent evidence.” Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen said in July 2025 that CCTV would go into stations within two years after public anger over the June 2025 death of Albert Ojwang in custody. VOCAL Africa spoke a day after Inspector-General Douglas Kanja warned commanders they could be personally liable for crimes by their officers. The group welcomed the line and said implicated officers must be investigated and, where evidence exists, charged — and that station bosses own what happens in their blocks. It asked IPOA to move faster and talk to families. Beyond cells, it has logged more than 70 police-shooting deaths this year, including 20 at fuel-price protests.
A two-year camera pledge is already a year old
July 2025 plus 24 months lands in mid-2027 — election year. Without a station-by-station install list, 22 custody files will keep arriving as statements, not video.
Crime desk: Crime. Verified 22/70/20 counts, July 2025 Murkomen pledge and Kanja context from Eastleigh Voice / VOCAL Africa.
NPS should publish how many stations already have live cell cameras. IPOA should list open 2026 custody-death files and their status.
Families of the 22 should get case numbers, not another NGO quote recycled on radio.
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Official gazettes, court rulings and agency circulars may update these facts after publication; readers should verify any deadline, fee or court date against primary sources before acting.
Based on Eastleigh Voice reporting of VOCAL Africa’s Friday statement. Counts are the group’s documentation, not a court finding.
