It seemingly is the end of the road for five police officers from Kitui who are said to have arrested a man, stripped him naked, and assaulted his private parts. The five are set to be charged before the courts and face the full force of the law.
This new development comes after a three-year investigation by the Independent Policing and Oversight Authority (IPOA) established that the officers, including an inspector, back in 2021 took the victim to Ngungani Police Station, where they committed the heinous act.
According to reporting by NTV, the victim’s plight had to be admitted to Mwingi Level Four Hospital. The victim stated that on October 18, 2021, the officers descended on his home and accused him of possessing a dangerous weapon.
After a fruitless search for the alleged weapon, the officers took him to the station, where they allegedly beat him up, stripped him naked, and squeezed his private parts. The violence is said to have led to severe physical injuries that led to his weeks-long hospitalisation.
While in the hospital, the victim was approached by IPOA officers, who informed him of their intention to conduct investigations into the incident. After the conclusion of their investigations, three years later, the five officers were summoned to court by the Kitui county police commander on December 2, 2024.
However, one of the police officers, who is believed to be the main suspect, failed to appear in court, leading to a warrant for his arrest being issued by the Kyuso Law Court's principal magistrate.
Due to the officer’s failure to heed the court’s summons, the prosecution could not move forward with the case as the five officers had been jointly charged. After a request by the prosecution team, the courts issued a fresh date, December 18, 2024, for the officers to take a plea.
Despite the victim seemingly on the path to getting justice, all is not rosy, as he has lamented receiving threats from unknown individuals coercing him to drop the charges. The victim claims that the individuals have warned of dire consequences if he does not bow to their demands.
“Unknown individuals have been threatening me, calling for a sit-down to drop the charges. They say if I do not heed their demands, something bad will happen to me,” the victim decried.
Further, the victim has expressed his deep sorrow at the state of his life over the years, bemoaning how he has been deserted by his family. The victim, while speaking to NTV, issued a fresh plea to the government to assist him in his dire state.
Over the years, numerous reports of police brutality against members of the public have become rampant, leading to calls for police reforms and better oversight. The Inspector General of Police, Douglas Kanja, has been put on the spot over the issue that was on display during the July-August Gen Z protests.
IPOA has also been challenged for its laxity in dealing with police brutality cases and has been urged to pull up its socks when conducting its oversight role.
