This archive report was first published on 19 August 2021.
On August 19, 2021, residents of Kayole estate in Nairobi took to the streets in protest following the killing of a 38-year-old man by police enforcing the COVID-19 night curfew.
The deceased, identified as John Kiiru, was a boda boda rider who was beaten to death by police on Wednesday night, August 18, 2021, for allegedly violating the curfew.
According to eyewitnesses, Kiiru was on a motorcycle heading home when he was stopped by police who started beating him up. The rider of the motorcycle fled, but Kiiru was not lucky and was beaten to death during the confrontation.
Justin Ngare, a resident who lives near the scene of the incident, said Kiiru was known well in the area as a boda boda rider and was on someone's motorbike when they were stopped by police.
Esther Wanjiru, Kiiru's widow, said her husband called her shortly after midnight and told her that he had been assaulted by police. She did not hear from him again until the morning when his body was found.
Locals blocked roads and lit bonfires as police tried to take away the body, which was still lying at the scene. Several shops were looted and others vandalized during the chaos that rocked Kayole for most of Thursday before the body was eventually taken.
Police fired live bullets and teargas to disperse the violent crowd of youths, mainly boda boda riders. The incident follows the killings of two brothers who were beaten to death by police in Kianjakoma, Embu two weeks ago after arrest for violating curfew.
