Three police officers were caught on camera assaulting a mentally challenged man at the Lodwar County Referral Hospital in Turkana.
The officers are said to have handcuffed the man before they beat him up for allegedly causing disturbance at the facility.
In the one minute, twenty three seconds video seen by Kenyans.co.ke, the patient shouted at the top of his voice as he begged the officers to have mercy on him but they could hear non of his pleas.
Some of the patients who witnessed the incident were heard encouraging the officers to continue assaulting the man while others just looked distraught.
The video has since been shared multiple times and upset a section of Kenyans who have called the National Police Service (NPS) and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to investigate the matter.
"The buck stops with Matiang'i and Mutyambai. Those officers are not worth their positions. That is police brutality, intimidation, harassment to the members of public. Very very unfortunate," Charles Nderitu stated.
"If a mentally ill patient can be handled this way imagine if he was in good health. They don't even care about the health condition of the patient," Odhiambo Isabella weighed in.
Better Health Channel has given a number of pointers on how to deal with mentally challenged patients who become aggressive.
Some include; try to remain calm, and speak in a calm, clear and slow voice.
Also, give the person some physical space and avoid a confrontation
Additionally, have a plan, that is; know who you are going to call if the aggressive behaviour continues or you feel there is a risk of harm to the person, yourself or others.
