Lost shoe led Kianjokoma bros to their death—witness
Childhood friends of the Kianjokoma brothers who died in police custody yesterday emotionally narrated the last moments they had with the two.
Benson Njiru Ndwiga, 22, and Emmanuel Mutura Ndwiga,19, met their death on 1st August last year while they were at Kianjokoma Trading Centre heading home with their friends.
John Mugendi Njeru, 19, and Chris Dan Murimi, 20, narrated to the court the events which led to the death of the brothers and six police officers charged with their murder.
The police officers are Benson Mputhia, Consolata Kariuki, Nicholas Cheruiyot, Martin Wanyama, Lilian Chemuna and James Mwaniki.
Njeru, a student at Don Bosco Boys Town Technical Institute where he schooled with one of the brothers, was the first to take the stand in the murder trial.
He told the court that at around 7pm on fateful night, he was playing video games at a playstation in Kianjokoma town with one of his friends named Chrisdan.
“Benson Njeru (deceased) called me and told me there was something he wanted to tell me. We met outside the playstation and we took a walk around Kianjokoma town. It was me, Chrisdan and the two brothers,” he told the court.
Njeru told the court that the brothers had just closed their parents’ pork butchery. He said that while the four walked towards Mamoru restaurant, he suggested that they have some drinks.
Police car
“The two brothers Benson and Emmanuel declined to take the drinks saying they did not want to have a hangover the next day. So we bought one jug of (senator) keg with Chrisdan and drunk… Emmanuel and Benson did not drink,” he told the court.
Njeru told the court that after a few minutes, Benson said that it was getting late and that they needed to leave.
“It was then that their mother called asking where they were and they told her they we were on their way home. It was around 9.17pm when their mother called. We talked for a few more minutes and left at 10.01pm,” he told the court
The witness told Justice Daniel Ogembo that they left the bar walked towards town where they intended to split and go home.
“It was then that Benson saw a police car and told us to flee. We had walked like 20 metres. Benson said we should run, he had spotted a police Land Cruiser and there was someone standing outside with a huge stick,” he told the court.
Njeru said the person carrying the stick wore a cream hoody and a mask and was tall.
“We started running back towards Mamoru and that’s when Emmanuel tripped and fell. Benson told him ‘achana na viatu hepa (leave the shoe and flee),” he recalled.
The court heard that it was drizzling and dark that night and the place where Emmanuel fell was on the side of the road and a plain area.
“Benson stopped running and went back to where his brother had fallen...I ran for a few metres and hid in a ditch. I could only see Benson, I heard a sound like someone being hit. It was loud and I could see Benson walking back towards where Emmanuel had fallen,” he told the court.
Njeru said the Land Cruiser came to where Emmanuel had fallen and as Benson was still walking back to his brother, the person with the stick caught up him and beat him up and bundled him in the Land Cruiser.
“After seeing Benson thrown in the land cruiser, I found another route home. I tried calling both their phones but they were turned off.. The next day I found missed calls from their father. I called him and he asked whether I was still with his sons. I explained to him what had happened the previous night and he told me to try to look for them,” he told the court.
He said he and Chrisdan went to Kianjakoma town to try and find out where the police station that the Land Cruiser came from but were not successful.
On the second day, they heard rumours that the brothers had died.
“I couldn’t believe it so I asked my mother. She called their grandmother and found out it was true,” he told the court.
Forensic evidence
Chrisdan Murimi narrated he also saw Emmanuel fall down while fleeing from the police Land Cruiser.
“I then saw Benson slowing down. He was calling Emmanuel... I also slowed down and then I heard a loud bang... it sounded like a donkey being whipped,” he told the court.
He said after hiding somewhere for a while, he called Emmanuel but his phone was off air. He tried a few more times and then decided to go home.
“The next day John looked for me so that we could search for them,” he said.
In its opening statement yesterday, the prosecution said it intended to prove that the six officers premeditated, planned and executed jointly the murder of the two brothers.
“We shall adduce witness testimony to give us an account of what transpired prior to the arrest of the deceased person’s and call expert witnesses and present forensic evidence to connect all the accused persons with the charge of murder, we will demonstrate that role of the accused person in the assault and the attempted covere up of the incident,” lead prosecution counsel Tabitha Ouya told the court.
