A 23-year-old man allegedly assaulted by police officers in Kwale County for flouting curfew regulation has succumbed to his injuries.
Mr Eric Ng’ethe Waithugi was allegedly beaten up at a local pub in Madingo area in Ukunda on Wednesday.
However, the police have denied assaulting Mr Waithugi as they enforced the dusk to dawn curfew.
STAMPEDE
Msambweni Sub-County Police Commander Nehemiah Bitok said Mr Waithugi could have been a victim of stampede when police raided the pub.
Police officers are said to have lobbed teargas at a group of at least 12 people in the bar in the 7pm incident after they declined to open the door.
“He might have been a victim of the stampede, the officers did not beat the young man,” said Mr Bitok adding that the incident is being investigated.
“We urge the family to remain calm since investigations have commenced to establish the cause of the death of their loved one,” he said.
Rights organisations Human Development Agenda and HAKI Africa are following up on the matter.
In a statement, Haki Africa Director Hussein Khalid said the victim is alleged to have been at a local pub in Ukunda after curfew hours when police officers raided the establishment to disperse the revellers.
EXCESSIVE FORCE
“We condemn the use of excessive force by the officers which led to the death of yet another person,” read the statement, adding that it does not make sense to have those alleged to have been killed by police enforcing the curfew far outnumber those that have died of coronavirus in the country.
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Mr Khalid said they have reported the incident to Independent Policing Oversight Authority.
Mr Waithugi becomes the latest victim of the alleged police brutality in the county after the death of Mr Hamisi Juma Idd who was also allegedly physically assaulted by police officers in Likoni, Mombasa County last Friday. His body has been moved to Kwale Hospital mortuary.
At least five deaths linked to police brutality have been reported across the country since the beginning of the curfew.
On Wednesday, the police were reported to have killed 13-year-old Yassin Moyo, who was allegedly hit by a stray bullet in Kiamaiko, Mathare on Wednesday.
Another victim Ramadhan Juma succumbed to his injuries in Kakamega after being assaulted by the officers.
He met his death after a boda-boda rider traveling to Isiolo was involved in an accident in Meru as he fled from police officers who were enforcing the curfew on its first day.
INHUMANE ACTS
Meanwhile, many other citizens including Mr Anthony Ndung’u, who has been a driver for 10 years, was beaten by police officers on the first day of the curfew and injured.
Hundreds of Likoni residents were also subjected to inhumane acts by the police at the Island side of the channel as they rushed home.
Some officers involved in the acts have allegedly been already interdicted by their bosses a day after President Uhuru Kenyatta apologised to the citizens over police brutality.
