A businessman in Malindi will not celebrate Christmas this year after he was beaten up by police and suffered a fractured hand for allegedly being found outside during curfew hours.
Zackayo Kaibunga popularly known as Zack was on his way home at around 10.30pm when he was assaulted by the police officers for allegedly faulting curfew rules.
Kaibunga also claimed that the police officers also allegedly stole Sh105,000 that he had withdrawn to go and pay workers at his site.
Trouble started after the businessman who was driving home was stopped by police officers and after interrogation, they began assaulting him dragged him into a Landcruiser where his hand sustained multiple fractures.
Journalists met Kaibunga at the Meridian hospital in Malindi town after he had been treated and disclosed that he tried to plead with the officers to allow him to drive himself to the police station in vain.
In an interview, Kaibunga said he called the OCS and informed him that he had been arrested by his deputy and did not want to allow him to drive himself to the Police station.
“Immediately after making that call they roughed me upholding my waist and dragged me towards the Police land cruiser, I took my phone and kept it inside the pocket,” he said.
He said the officers dragged him to the door of the land cruiser and as they lifted him his hand twisted and despite shouting in pain the officers dragged him into their vehicle.
To make matters worse he said the police officers forced him to sit down and stepped him on his waist without caring that he had been injured.
“A female police officer who was in the team informed the deputy OCS that I had been injured, they drove with me leaving my vehicle open with its engine running and lights on,” he said.
Kaibunga said inside there were three other people who had been arrested and he refused to alight from the vehicle to go to the cells until they took him for treatment.
He said they went to the Malindi Sub-county hospital but could not get treatment due to the strike forcing them to go to Tawfiq private hospital.
After X-ray examinations and initial treatment, he was found to have a fracture and the police who were still with him took him to the police station since he was under arrest.
They later released him on a free bond. Kaibunga underwent surgery and was inserted two metal rods to support his fractured hand at the Meridian hospital and the hospital expenses have so far reached Sh150,000.
“I have been trying to follow up my money from the police station in vain, they said they were not aware of it,” he said.
Attempts to get a comment from Malindi Sub County Police Commander Joe Lekuta did not bear fruits as he did not pick calls or respond to messages regarding the incident.
Phillip Matara a Malindi activist condemned the police brutality and wondered why police could not just arrest him and take him to the police before charging him in a court of law.
He said a similar incident occurred in Kisii and a very young soul was lost due to police brutality.
”We want to request ur police officers, ur government agencies please let us be human to let the law take its course, people should be arrested, taken to the police station and the court to face charges as per the law,” he said.
Matara said Malindi was a tourist destination and should not be spoilt by few rogue police officers who do not respect human rights.