Villagers injured in brutal police raid call for justice

Hillary Amusibi is being assisted to stand up by her mother on the left and sister on the right after police beaten him up in the name of police patrol in Khayega. [Duncan Ocholla/Standard]

At least 20 residents of Shinyalu sub-county are nursing injuries inflicted by police in a raid on Sunday night.

The officers drawn from Shisasari police station and an Administration Police (AP) camp at Khayega market were hunting down people in a video that captured a man slashing to death a suspected chicken thief.

Investigations by The Standard have established that the suspected chicken thief was killed on July 12 last month near the AP camp. However, no action was taken until the video went viral in the social media last week.

Victims’ testimonies

Hillary Amusiba, 31, and a father of 11, was injured in the police raid. Mr Amusiba, who runs a butchery at Khayega market, denies being anywhere near the scene of the killing that triggered the police raid.

Instead, Amusiba says he was in Kakamega town and only learnt of the incident after returning home that evening.

He accuses the police of storming his house and brutally assaulting him and his wife.

“At 11:51pm on Sunday I had just retired to bed when I heard someone knocking at the door followed by a loud bang. The door was kicked in and more than 30 police officers entered my house,” he said.

Amusiba claimed the officers entered his bedroom and confiscated Sh2,800, a hoe and a machete, and frog-marched him and his second wife out of the house amid kicks and blows.

“They (police) tied both my hands and legs together and started hitting me on my back and ribs using a hammer they had taken from the house,” he said.

He said the officers later drove him around the whole night, threatening to kill him if he did not identify the people in the video. He later lost consciousness.

Regained consciousness

“Around 6.30am when I gained consciousness, we were in Kakamega town,” said Amusiba.

He said the police then drove him back to Khayega and that one of the officers gave him Sh50 to take a boda boda to hospital.

His mother Mercyline Khaveri, and a sister were not spared.

According to Ms Khaveri, another group of police officers returned at around 1.30am on Monday and ordered her and her daughter out, claiming they were hiding criminals.

“They kicked the door open and ordered us to get out. They took me and my daughter to a cowshed and forced us to sit on fresh cow dung. They beat us mercilessly,” she said.

Her daughter Anne Khasandi, 23, a university student, who had just returned home from teaching practice, said she tried to plead with the police not to beat up her mother. Instead of stopping, they turned on her with blows.

“Up to now, my body is aching everywhere. I also have cuts on my thighs,” said Ms Khasandi.

Faith Imbala, 25, had just finished breastfeeding her child when the police pushed the door open, got in and dragged her out of the house. They beat her up, accusing her of hiding her husband.

Lynching video

John Wasonga, 38, said the police officers knocked at his door around 1am and upon opening, they started beating him up demanding that he tells them the names and homes of the people appearing in the lynching video.  

Wasonga said the police officers confiscated his two phones.

“They set me free when I started bleeding from the mouth,” he said. 

Shinyalu sub-county Police Commander Robert Makau confirmed that he had received complaints about the way the operation was conducted.

“Members of the public have recorded statements over alleged assault and we launched investigations,” he said.

He, however, denied claims that the police took money and other valuables during the operation.

Isukha South ward rep Farouk Machanje demanded justice for the assault victims.

“We want the Inspector General of Police to ensure all the officers on duty that day are prosecuted,” he said.