Kenyan human rights activist Boniface Mwangi was on Friday roughed up by police after a confrontation with officers from the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) in Nairobi.
In a tweet thread, Mwangi said he was at his barbershop in Pension Towers located along Loita Street when several young men walked in with a General Service Unit (GSU) officer.
The police and the men who identified themselves as KRA officers arrested a receptionist at the shop.
A confrontation ensued after Mwangi asked the unidentified officers to produce their job cards.
“We asked them to identify themselves, they said they were from KRA but they didn’t have IDs. We asked them to call someone who had an ID,” Mwangi said.
Read: President Uhuru Kenyatta Apologises for Police Brutality Meted Against Kenyans
Mwangi added, “So it later turns out the young men without IDs and the GSU officers are under the command of a Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) employee.”
Apparently, the officers were arresting operators who didn’t have “branding licenses”.
In videos attached, the officers got agitated after realizing the activist was video recording them.
Several other GSU officers joined the group and attempted to forcefully take Mwangi’s phone after he declined to stop recording the incident.
Also Read: Boniface Mwangi Tenders Resignation as Ukweli Party Chairperson
As he attempted to flee the scene he fell down. The officers descended on him and attempted to seize the phone.
Because l recorded them, the GSU officers wanted to take my phone, I refused and in my attempt to ran away, I fell. They caught up with me, and beat me up. Even after the beating l didn’t hand over my phone. @IPOA_KE @IG_NPS @NMS_Kenya @FredMatiangi @NPSOfficial_KE @DCI_Kenya. pic.twitter.com/aclA6zmXTf
— The People’s Watchman (@bonifacemwangi) October 8, 2021
“Because l recorded them, the GSU officers wanted to take my phone, I refused and in my attempt to run away, I fell. They caught up with me and beat me up,” Mwangi added.
“Even after the beating l didn’t hand over my phone.”
Also Read: Defiant Boniface Mwangi Blocks VIP Being Escorted By Police Car [Video]
Mwangi, who suffered a bruise injury on one of his legs, asked the Inspector General of Police Hillary Mutyambai and Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i to order a probe into the incident.
“Because we raised our voices, not a single person was arrested in the entire Pension Towers building. l was slightly injured. The harassment and the brutalization of innocent citizens going about their business was captured on the building’s CCTV @IG_NPS @FredMatiangi,” he said.
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