This archive report was first published on 10 June 2020.
On a fateful Sunday, Mercy Cherono, a 21-year-old mother of one, found herself in the midst of a brutal ordeal. A video circulating on social media shows her being dragged by a police officer on a motorbike through the streets of Olenguruone town in Narok County.
According to Cherono, the officer claimed she had stolen a laptop and clothes from his house and was being punished. However, Cherono denies the allegations, stating that she was simply relaxing outside her rented house when the officer approached her.
Cherono recounts how the officer tied her hands to the motorbike and dragged her for 200 meters, pleading for mercy as the crowd watched in horror. The incident left her with a broken leg, soft tissue injuries, and a wound on the head.
Olenguruone Sub-County Hospital Superintendent Solomon Bera confirmed Cherono's injuries and described the attack as 'brutal.' Dr. Bera stated that Cherono was 'very lucky' to be alive and that the attack was 'unprovoked.'
Nakuru County Woman Representative Liza Chelule condemned the incident, stating that the police should have taken legal action against Cherono instead of brutalizing her. Chelule called for immediate action against the officer and vowed to raise the matter in parliament.
Area OCPD Henry Nyaranga denied the allegations, stating that Cherono was a victim of mob justice and not the police officer. However, investigations into the incident are ongoing to establish the actual circumstances that led to Cherono's injuries.
