Residents protest mysterious death of Isiolo businessman

Relatives and friends of Isiolo businessman Patrick Gitonga, who allegedly died after he was roughed up by police officers, staged a protest on Tuesday demanding for justice.

Transport was paralysed on the Isiolo-Moyale highway for about an hour as hundreds of mourners marched in Isiolo town while carrying a casket bearing his body. 

A post-mortem examination conducted last week revealed that Gitonga died from excessive internal bleeding after he was hit on the head by a blunt object.

Residents led by Timau Ward Rep George Kimathi asked the government to investigative the incident and bring culprits to book.

“With the post-mortem results out, detectives can now focus on specific culprits involved in the killing,” Mr Kimathi said.

Gitonga’s family called for investigation to ascertain the circumstances that led to their kin’s death.

Gitonga died in hospital where he was taken hours after he was detained at the Isiolo Police Station following the brawl in Nyara in the outskirts of Isiolo town about three weeks ago.

Police earlier said he was roughed up by an irate mob after he overpowered the four armed officers who had gone to arrest him. The officers claimed he complained of illness while in custody and was rushed to the hospital where he passed on shortly after admission.

But witnesses said Mr Gitonga was roughed up by the officers who later took him to the station while badly wounded. They said one of the officers was injured by irate members of the public and not the Gitonga as reported by police.