12 County Askaris Suspended for Dragging Female Hawker Behind Speeding Vehicle
12 Kisumu County government askaris who were on Wednesday filmed dragging a woman behind a speeding vehicle have been suspended.
While announcing their suspension on Thursday, Kisumu County Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o said a probe into the incident has been opened.
“As investigations continue on this matter with the urgency it deserves, I have directed the City Manager to immediately suspend from duty all the officers who were involved in this incident with immediate effect,” Nyong’o said in a statement.
A video shared on social media showed a speeding white pick-up truck dragging the lady by her legs along a tarmac road in Kisumu. Some boda-boda riders were seen following the vehicle in an attempt to save the woman.
The woman, 38-year-old Beatrice Magolo, sustained injuries during the incident that has sparked public outrage.
In an interview, Beatrice said she was selling her products near the Kisumu Bus Park when a group of kanjo askaris ambushed her for allegedly flouting rules on hawking.
The officers tried to bundle her onto the back of the vehicle but she resisted, leading to a scuffle that drew the attention of fellow hawkers and boda-boad operators. The driver of the truck abruptly sped off for fear of being attacked by mob.
“One of the kanjo askaris firmly held my right arm, causing me to hang from the truck with my legs on the tarmac road,” the single mother said.
“Governor [Anyang] Nyong’o demolished our kiosks next to the bus park but did not relocate us to another place. So we have nowhere to do our businesses apart from hawking,” she added.
She was dragged along the tarmac for nearly half a kilometer before she was dropped off at the gate of Central Police Station.
The Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) and Kisumu MCAs condemned the barbaric act.
Comments (5)
How are there Kanjos trained? Even if they were dragging a sheep,there action would still would be condemned.Moreover, even if your training calls for dragging a human being like you did this lady,would your conscience allow it? And I seriously doubt that this is part of training.
@Maxiley. Totally concur. No one will respect us if we cannot even respect our own. Unfortunately, such treatment is rampant in poorer countries where even basic human dignity is not upheld. That woman is someone's mom, and no one would be happy seeing their mother dragged behind a car like that. And for what. Selling some goods to provide for her family. Why not arrest and put her in the car and take her to the police station if they allege she committed a crime.
These criminals should be arrested and in jail. why suspend them instead of firing and jailing them for attempted murder?
@ Ndugu yangu Maxiley;
Nina akronimu (acronym) ambayo inaeleza tabia ya ajabu kama hii. P.L.E.H.O.C. Kirefu chake ni
People au Person
Lacking
Empathy
Humanity
Or
Conscience.
At ndugu I mara, may be those are the qualities that kanjos should be recruited on. After all they are public servants.We dont pay them to abuse us.