IPOA confirms Simon Warui’s cause of death in Mombasa police custody
By Ascah Mwango, September 23, 2025The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has confirmed that Simon Warui, who died at the Central Police Station in Mvita, Mombasa, lost his life from injuries consistent with a fall from a height.
In a statement released on Tuesday, September 23, 2025, IPOA said it had already launched a comprehensive investigation into the incident.
According to IPOA, its team has begun collecting evidence, interviewing witnesses, and reviewing police procedures surrounding Warui’s death.
“The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) wishes to inform the public that it has initiated a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Mr Simon Warui, which occurred on Wednesday, 17 September 2025, at the Central police station, Mvita Sub-county within Mombasa County. This is to state that the IPOA investigation team has already begun collecting evidence, interviewing witnesses and reviewing police procedures relating to the incident,” IPOA stated.
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The authority noted that a postmortem examination established the cause of death as cardiorespiratory collapse due to fracture dislocation of the neck.
IPOA said this was consistent with a fall from a height. The agency stressed that the rights and safety of individuals placed in custody are paramount and assured the public that the matter will be handled with the seriousness it deserves. IPOA also extended condolences to Warui’s family and appealed for calm as investigations continue.
“Further it has obtained the post-mortem report which establishes the cause of death to be “as a result of cardiorespiratory collapse due to fracture of dislocation of the neck which is consistent with a fall from a height”. IPOA emphasizes that safety and rights of individuals placed in police custody are paramount and will work diligently to ensure justice is served,” IPOA added.
Warui’s death
Warui, a 26-year-old father of one, was first reported missing from his Umoja estate home in Nairobi on September 14, 2025. His family later learnt on September 18, 2025, that he had died three days earlier inside Mombasa Central Police Station.
A postmortem carried out at the Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital (CGTRH) revealed extensive injuries, including a ligature mark on his neck, a deep scalp wound, fractured vertebra, spinal haemorrhage, and dislocation of the C7-T1 vertebra.
Police documents indicate that his body was discovered lying on the floor of a washroom with blood oozing from his nose. The autopsy request was made by police constable Kevin Sawe.
Human rights defenders and Warui’s family have raised questions about the circumstances of his arrest, how he was transferred from Nairobi to Mombasa, and the offence for which he was detained. They have also expressed concern that CCTV footage and details from the police occurrence book have not been released, while some of his personal items remain missing.