Imagine getting violently robbed, and then running into your attackers working as police officers at the very station you go to for help.
That is reportedly what happened to David Ng’ang’a, a boda boda rider from Nakuru.
Ng’ang’a was on a regular work day when he picked up a passenger headed to Milimani. But when they reached the destination, things took a dark turn. The passenger suddenly turned violent and began strangling him.
Before he could fully react, two more men appeared from a nearby unfinished building, armed with pangas (machetes). One of them chillingly told the others, “Mumalizie, mdunge kisu” — urging them to stab him and finish him off.
Ng’ang’a begged for his life.
They eventually left him physically shaken and stole his motorbike, mobile phone, and hard-earned cash.
Bumping into the Thugs, but as Police Officers
The next day, he did what any citizen would do — he went to report the robbery at the local police station.
But there, he got the shock of his life.
Two of the officers on duty looked very familiar — too familiar. On closer inspection, he realized they were the same men who had attacked him the day before.
Terrified and confused, he tried to file a report. But the Officer Commanding Station (OCS) refused to take his statement and instead sent him away to report at a different station.
Feeling helpless and unsafe, Ng’ang’a decided to turn to the media.
His story has since sparked outrage online, especially at a time when public trust in police is already low. Recent reports have highlighted several worrying cases involving rogue officers, including the death of blogger Albert Ojwang while in police custody, and the shooting of an unarmed man during protests in Nairobi.
Members of the public are now calling for urgent reforms in the police force.
Ng’ang’a, like many Kenyans, just wants justice and safety. But when the very people meant to protect him are the ones who turned against him, it raises serious questions about who we can trust.
By Vivian K.