A family in Turuini village, Gatundu North, Kiambu County, is pleading for justice after their 17-year-old son was subjected to horrific torture over claims of stealing two kilograms of coffee cherries.
The teenager, identified as Onesmus Kariuki, was reportedly attacked by a group of individuals, including a man believed to be a police officer, who accused him of theft. According to the family, the ordeal left him with severe burns on his back and legs after his attackers poured melted plastic on his body.
Kariuki recalled that he was caught in a local coffee farm by workers who accused him of stealing cherries. One of them allegedly cut his finger before handing him over to a police officer. The officer, together with others, tied his hands and legs, tore off his clothes, and sprinkled melting plastic on his bare skin.
“When they realized my clothes were shielding me, they tore them apart and continued burning me,” the teen said, adding that his attackers later poured brown ants on his body before abandoning him in the rain, still tied up and in agony.
He was later taken to Kamwangi Police Station, where officers instructed his accusers to take him to hospital before booking him under an occurrence book entry. Despite his severe injuries, Kariuki spent the night in the cells and was only released the next day before appearing in court.
A letter from the police required him to report back to the station for further investigations in early November. His mother, Salome Muthoni, expressed heartbreak over her son’s suffering, saying she has been unable to eat or sleep since the incident.
The family claims that those involved have refused to surrender his torn clothes, which they believe could serve as key evidence. They are now urging Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja and relevant oversight bodies to intervene and ensure justice is delivered.
Muthoni insists her son’s ordeal was unconstitutional and cruel, stressing that no one deserves such inhumane treatment, regardless of the alleged offence.
