Francis Koigo, a man who was filmed being clobbered by traffic police in Pipeline, Nakuru County, now claims he lost Ksh150,000 during the ugly scuffle.
Speaking to a local publication, Kiogo says that after arrest, he was taken to Mwariki police station before being transferred to Nakuru later, leaving his vehicle on the road side.
“The officer, sensing things were getting out of control, first took me to Mwariki police station, before I was later transferred to Nakuru. I was forced to leave my vehicle on the roadside and Ksh150,000, which I had stashed inside the pickup, went missing,” he told the Nation.
Initially, reports indicated that Kiogo was flagged down for overlapping, but he said he was trying to park his vehicle on the roadside to talk to his brother who lives in Nakuru.
The officer is said to have banged Mr Kiogo’s car with a swagger stick, which triggered the verbal exchange before it escalated to a physical confrontation.
The irate car owner jumped out of the car to confront the officer who had damaged his car.
“How can someone who is drunk come and hit a car like this? Take a photo of how he has hit and damaged my car,” said kiogo.
The masked police officer started choking the motorist before raining blows on him.
Moments later, the attacking officer was joined by his colleagues including a female officer who was heard saying, “Who are you to push a police officer?”
Mr Koigo now says he fears for his life, but has vowed to sue the officers for assaulting him.
“I shall be seeking legal redress over the beating…it was humiliating and am still physiologically tortured,” he said.
The National Police Service (NPS) had dismissed the video doing rounds online, saying that it does not show the events as they occurred.
“The said motorist was stopped while overlapping along the busy Nairobi Nakuru highway. Upon stopping he assaulted the police officer.
Members of the public alerted the rest of the officers who were on the opposite side of the road. The officers gave a reinforcement and managed to subdue him and effected his arrest,” the NPS said on Twitter.
The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has however launched investigations into the incidence.
In a statement, IPOA chairperson Anne Makori said appropriate action will be taken against the officers if they are found culpable.
“Consequently, IPOA on its own motion has this afternoon launched investigations into the assault and injury of the two people,” Ms Makori said.