The family of a man who died at Industrial Area Prison is asking for help to raise Sh300,000 for his burial.

Mark Nyamweya was jailed after he failed to pay a fine of Sh200 for being drunk and disorderly.  He will be buried on Friday at his home in Kisii.

The family says all their pleas to get justice through relevant authorities have fallen on deaf ears, despite seeking help from the Independent Policing Oversight Authority and the Kenya National Human Rights Commission.

"We are seriously frustrated. We have not gotten any assistance towards getting justice. All the relevant authorities that we had earlier approached have gone silent," his uncle, Dennis Nyamweya, told the Star yesterday.

The family also wants the Nairobi county government to waive a pending bill of Sh14,700 at City Mortuary. They are waiting for results of a post mortem done at the mortuary on Monday.

Relatives say the circumstances surrounding his death are suspicious.

Family spokesman Nelson Mageto had earlier said Kayole's Soweto police and Industrial Area Prison should come clean on Nyamweya's death.

Mageto asks why his nephew was arrested with 42 others but only six were arraigned. They were booked under OB NO 21/6/7/2019 at 11am.

He faulted Soweto police for failing to inform them of his arrest until he passed on. The 27-year-old, alongside five others, were arraigned in Makadara and charged with being drunk and disorderly.

He pleaded guilty and was fined Sh200, with an alternative sentence of seven days in custody.  A police source from the prison said Nyamweya died after developing stomach problems.

“He felt bad, complained of stomach problems. He was vomiting and had diarrhoea before he died,” the source said.

The relatives were informed of the death by an officer from the prison who traced the club in which the deceased was arrested, assisted by a fellow detainee James Ongondi.

Ongondi told the Star an officer brought Nyamweya some drugs and water which he took around midnight.

"At 4am, he again started groaning in pain. He cried until around 5am. We banged the door, but no officer responded," he said.

An officer brought porridge for Nyamweya at 6am.

He took it and later died. The family wants to know the nature of the drug administered, who diagnosed him and why the prisons administration did not take him for emergency treatment.

His brother, Daniel, said they grew up orphans and Nyamweya had only stayed in Soweto for two months.

He previously lived in Mathare North slum.

Ipoa has sought documents from the Soweto police station's boss through a letter.

“The complainant requests for OB Number, extract and charge sheet as regard his nephew Mark Nyamweya who was arrested on July 8. He was committed to Industrial Area Prison and was found dead on July 9. Please accord him necessary assistance,” the letter dated July 11 reads.

It was signed by Ipoa's complaints management officer.

However, Joseph Ngatia, an officer who was standing in for the OCS, said he would only give the OB number.

He directed the relatives to return the letter to the police authority so their investigators do their job.

“You are not Ipoa officials. Neither are you, police officers. We can’t give you the information as stated in the letter,” Ngatia said.