The family of a boda boda rider from Lukusi village, Sango sub location in Likuyani Sub County is crying for justice after the rider was allegedly assaulted to death by officers attached to Kogo police patrol base who accused him of ferrying illicit brew.
According to Ms. Veronica Nekoye, her nephew Vitalis Shikuku was riding along Soy – Kogo road carrying a female pillion passenger before he was intercepted by two police officers who were also using a motorbike.
“The officers asked him,” What are you carrying? He answered a passenger, they asked him again and he repeated the same answer. They then turned to the passenger who was holding a bag and asked her what she was carrying and she replied ‘chang’aa‘ (illicit brew),” said Nekoye.
She said the officers then turned on Vitalis with kicks and blows leaving him unconscious.
After realizing he could not stand on his own, they called a private vehicle that carried him together with his passenger to the police cell.
According to Nekoye, her nephew was already dead by the time he was being removed from the scene.
An hour later the vehicle was seen leaving the patrol base and headed towards Likuyani Sub County hospital carrying the victim who was pronounced dead upon arrival. The officer then took the body to Kimbilio mortuary in the neighbouring Uasin Gishu County without informing the family.
However, according to Lugari Sub County Police Commander Bernard Ngungu the deceased committed suicide inside the police cell.
He said the deceased was arrested together with his female passenger transporting ten litres of chang’aa.
“He was intercepted by police officers along Soy – Kogo road where he was found ferrying ten litters of chang’aa. He was arrested together with his passenger and locked up at Kogo police patrol base where he committed suicide, “said Ngungu.
He said the deceased was wearing sports shoes which the officer ordered him to remove one of the shoes and he was locked up in a cell with the other.
However, he said the suspect untied the shoelace which he used to hang himself inside the cell.
“The officers heard some commotion from the male cell and when they went to check they found him with the shoelaces tied around his neck. They rescued and rushed him to hospital where he was pronounced dead upon arrival,” said Ngungu.
The deceased’s mother Mary Simiyu has rubbished the police report saying her son was putting on crocs shoes but not sports shoes.
“I don’t know where they got the sports shoes from because my son doesn’t have sports shoes and he left wearing crocs shoes,” said the mother.
Her sentiments were echoed by the father Mr. Ernest Simiyu who wondered how his son could hang himself inside a completely sealed cell with slippery walls and no place to tie rope.
“The ceiling is fully covered and the walls are slippery, I’m just wondering how it happened,” said Mr. Simiyu.
The family is now appealing to the Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA) to intervene and ensure justice is done.
