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City mum recounts harrowing police arrest caught on viral video


A Nairobi mum has given a blow by blow narration of events that led to her brutal arrest by police in an ugly incident caught on a video that has gone viral.

In the footage, four police officers, one armed, are seen manhandling Nelly Maina before bundling her into a police vehicle.

Nelly narrated to Nairobi News how she was aboard a Rongai matatu heading to the city centre when police stopped their driver. For unknown reasons, the driver failed to obey and drove on.

BLOCKED

Police officers gave chase and caught up with the matatu near Langata police station where they successfully blocked it.

“One of the officers smashed a window as he yelled at us to alight from the matatu. We alighted and stood near the scene while discussing amongst ourselves how we would get our fare balances and reimbursement for the remaining distance,” said Nelly.

All this time, the police officers were in a push and pull tussle with the matatu driver and his conductor to bundle them into a police vehicle.

“The same officer who smashed the window told us, ‘sasa mnauliza nani atawapea pesa, kwani sisi ndio mlipea pesa yenu?’

“I told him we just needed the conductor to give us our balances and refunds to which he yelled at me, ‘kuja hapa wewe,’ I refused to go and that is when he came and grabbed me from the crowd,” Nelly told Nairobi News.

STARTED PROTESTING

At that point the rest of the commuters started protesting, prompting the officer to ask his female colleagues to apprehend Nelly.

“The officer started threatening the people who were recording the incident with their phones while I struggled with the other officers to let go of me,” recounted Nelly.

At some point one of the commuters who was protesting the arrest was taken inside the police vehicle.

“I refused to enter the police car and told the female officers to tell me the offense I had committed. When things turned ugly I decided to let them know that I am a member of the presidential campaign team…which I am,” said Nelly.

The two female officers let go of her but she continued probing the officers to state her offense that had prompted the manhandling.

STARTED APOLOGIZING

“The two started apologizing while the other male officer said he did not care and refused to disclose why he manhandled me. I asked them to release the other guy but they refused and am told he was detained in the police station for five hours and released on a Sh5,000 cash bail,” said Nelly.

The Nairobi mum said the experience made her want to seek justice for the many city commuters who are harassed by police officers adding that she will be filing a complaint against the officers.