Family of banker killed by five guards cries for justice
Ms Fridah George consoles her friend Grace Wokabi, whose husband, David Wokabi died after he was beaten by security guards in unclear circumstances in Nyali Centre, Mombasa, on January 7. PHOTO | MOHAMMED AHMED | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
David Wokabi was beaten by Solvit Security guards at Nyali Centre on January 7.
Mr Wokabi’s family finds it hard to believe their kin was attacked by the guards who beat him mercilessly only for ‘urinating’ at the parking lot.
Mrs Wokabi, 35, said on the fateful day, she received a phone call at around 3am from a woman who asked her to rush to Jocham Hospital.
Tears have been flowing freely from Grace Wokabi’s eyes for the past one week.
Three framed photos of her husband in the living room of the house he used to call home in Bombolulu estate in Mombasa are all she has of him now.
David Wokabi, a banker at Stanbic Bank, died last Sunday after spending exactly a week in the Intensive Care Unit of Aga Khan Hospital in Mombasa.
He landed at the dreaded treatment unit after he was beaten by Solvit Security guards at Nyali Centre on January 7.
The centre houses a number of entertainment joints, banks, health centres and supermarkets.
Mr Wokabi’s family finds it hard to believe their kin was attacked by the guards who beat him mercilessly only for ‘urinating’ at the parking lot.
He was leaving one of the establishments when he met the beatings from the guards.
LYING UNCONSCIOUSLY
According to CCTV footage obtained by the Nation, five guards are seen approaching Mr Wokabi’s car as he moves out of the parking lot.
The guards are then seen pulling him out of the vehicle and they start beating him for reasons that have since remained unclear to the police who are still investigating the matter.
Mrs Wokabi, 35, said on the fateful day, she received a phone call at around 3am from a woman who asked her to rush to Jocham Hospital.
Mr David Wokabi Kamau who died after being assaulted by security guards at Nyali Centre in Mombasa. PHOTO | COURTESY
“I went there and saw my husband lying unconsciously. We took him to the Aga Khan Hospital where he spent a week without telling me a word until he died. To date I do not know why he had to die. The guards know him well. I wonder why they beat him?” asked the mother of two as she fought back tears.
According to the postmortem exam report, Mr Wokabi died of severe injuries to the brain from three cuts on his head and one on the neck.
The report states that the banker’s skull was badly injured. Police have arrested two guards in connection to the assault that resulted in his death.
The two were charged at the Shanzu Law Courts with assault and are being remanded at Shimo la Tewa maximum prison.
GUARDS FLED
Three other guards, among them their supervisor, are yet to be arrested after they fled after the arrest of their two colleagues.
Mr Benson Mosonik, a family friend of the Wokabis, has accused Solvit Security company of a cover-up.
“They are yet to produce some parts of the CCTV footage. We believe they have helped the other guards to flee,” said Mr Mosonik, who has been closely following up the matter.
But speaking in an interview at Solvit offices in Nyali, the group’s operations manager Christopher Wairoma said they had cooperated with the police in ensuring justice is served.
He said they helped produce the two guards to the police and are working to ensure the missing three are brought to book.
CHARGES AMENDED
“We wish to give our condolences to the family. We are aware that our guards are said to have taken part in the incident, but the police are going on with their investigations and we cannot divulge more information on the same,” said Mr Wairoma.
Kisauni OCPD Sangura Musee said police are still searching for the other suspects and added that charges against the two who were arrested have been amended from assault to murder.
Mr Musee said the two will appear at Shanzu Law Courts on Thursday next week to answer to the charges.
