Every morning, 20-year-old Eric Otieno climbed onto his boda boda determined to earn enough to support his family.
Like thousands of young men navigating Nairobi's busy streets, he spent long hours ferrying passengers to provide for his loved ones.
To his family in Mathare, he was more than a son and brother. They say he was the household's breadwinner, helping keep the family afloat while looking forward to a promising future.
That future ended on August 2.
Hours after being released from Muthaiga Police Station, Otieno died while being taken to Mama Margaret Kenyatta Hospital, leaving his family demanding answers over what happened while he was in police custody.
His relatives say they do not know the offence he had allegedly committed to justify his arrest.
Otieno was arrested on Thika Road on suspicion of preparation to commit a felony. His family says they were told to raise Sh10,000 to secure his release.
One of his brothers went to the police station after learning of the arrest. He says Otieno had no visible injuries when he first saw him, although he complained that he had been assaulted.
The family initially believed any injuries may have been sustained during the arrest.
Unable to raise the full amount, the family collected Sh6,000. They say officers released Otieno at about 11pm after they pleaded with them.
By then, they say, he was barely able to support himself.
Instead of returning home, the family rushed him to hospital. He died on the way.
The family is now seeking answers about what happened at Muthaiga Police Station.
"First and foremost, as an interim measure, we just want to know who are the police officers that were involved," said the family's lawyer, Alvin Attalo.
"The family also wants the CCTV footage. Muthaiga had CCTV. They want that footage to establish what transpired."
The family is also seeking hospital records to establish whether Otieno received medical attention while in police custody. They allege he repeatedly complained of pain but was denied treatment.
According to Attalo, a postmortem found that Otieno died from massive internal bleeding caused by severe abdominal injuries, including a ruptured spleen and bowel injuries. He said the examination also documented multiple injuries consistent with blunt force trauma.
"The postmortem showed he lost about 2.5 to three litres of blood. That was torture," Attalo said.
The family is also seeking compensation, saying Otieno was the household's breadwinner.
"He was a breadwinner. He had people who depended on him. We want the people involved in his death arrested and prosecuted," Attalo said.
Attalo said compensating victims without prosecuting those responsible would only fuel a culture of impunity.
Police have said the postmortem findings pave the way for a possible murder investigation.
The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has since taken over the investigation.
Investigators have visited Muthaiga Police Station, secured station records, including the Occurrence Book and duty rosters, and are working to identify the officers who handled Otieno after his arrest.
Civil society organisations have also called for accountability.
The Law Society of Kenya described Otieno's death as an unlawful killing and urged IPOA, the Internal Affairs Unit and the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights to preserve evidence and identify everyone involved.
The Independent Medico-Legal Unit said deaths in police custody raise serious concerns about the use of force and the protection of the rights of people deprived of their liberty.
Otieno's death has also renewed concerns over deaths in police custody.
Human rights groups say several similar cases remain under investigation and warn that without accountability such incidents will continue.
For Otieno's family, however, the issue is deeply personal.
They say he left home to earn an honest living and never returned.
