Kenyan Man Who Was Beaten by Police During Curfew Dies

A 49-year-old Kenyan man has died after he was allegedly beaten by police officers on Friday night when the dusk-to-dawn curfew declared by President Uhuru took effect. 

Khamisi Juma Bega, a boda-boda operator from Kwale County was reportedly returning home after dropping an expectant woman to the hospital when he met police officers enforcing the nationwide curfew running from 7 pm to 5 am.

At around 7:30 pm, Khamisi received a call from one of his customers, who was expectant, seeking to be taken to the hospital. 

On his way back, he found police officers on patrol at Ujamaa stage on the Mombasa-Lungalunga highway and was ordered to stop. They then rained blows and kicks on him alongside another man whose identity is yet to be established.

“Here he was flagged down by police officers who were patrolling the area. However, he defied the orders and drove past them and one of the officers hit him on the hand, then he lost control of his motorcycle and fell on a metal stand that pierced his stomach. The officers cornered him after he fell down and continued to clobber him until he fainted,” Khamisi’s brother Hidaya Fweda said.

Good Samaritans took him to a private hospital where he received first-aid treatment before being taken to Kwale District Hospital.

“At Kwale District Hospital, he was ordered to undergo several scans which the facility did not have and since his health kept on deteriorating he was ordered to be transferred to Msabweni District Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries,” added Fweda.

Khamisi’s family is now demanding justice following his death but police in Matuga have distanced themselves from the incident. Matuga sub-county police commander Francis Mguli said they would investigate the incident.

Police came under heavy criticism after videos and photos of officers brutalizing members of the public emerged on Friday. The curfew is part of the government’s measures to avert the spread of coronavirus in the country.