Aaron Langat, a resident of Kaproron village in Chepalungu constituency, Bomet county who has accused Officer Commanding Olbutyo Police Station (OCS) of eloping with his wife, and child, beating and injuring him, shows a medical report after he was treated at Sigor sub-county hospital in this photo taken on January 15, 2025.
When Aaron Langat reportedly had a disagreement with his wife over phone calls she received from a senior police officer, he did not know that it would set off a series of events that would turn his life upside down in a matter of days.
The middle-aged man from Bomet County is living in fear after a senior police officer allegedly snatched his wife and child and later led a group of policemen to beat him up.
In a case that has raised eyebrows in Kaproron village in Olbutyo, Chepalungu Constituency, some of the man's lower teeth were knocked out after he was allegedly beaten with the butt of a gun.
The officers reportedly stormed the homestead twice on Sunday, January 12, 2025 - for a period of three hours - and committed the offence, which included breaking into the house where the man and his wife lived and carting away various household items.
As a result, the man has not slept in his home for fear for his life after efforts to report the incident to facilitate investigations and action failed, as he says he was repeatedly shunted from one police station to another.
He has appealed to the Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA) to come to his aid so that he can get justice.
"I am living in fear after they took away my wife, my child and my personal belongings, including clothes and household items. I fear for my life and I am appealing to the authorities, especially the IPOA, to help me in this matter," Mr Langat told Nation.Africa at his home.
He said: "I am appealing to the IPOA to come to my rescue and ensure that I get justice as the police and administrators have refused to record the matter in the Occurrence Book (OB) to facilitate investigations."
Langat said he feared for the life of his child.
Police 'hush-hush probe'
Chepalungu Sub-County Police Commander Phantom Analo said the matter was under investigation and he would make a statement later.
But by the time of publishing this article, the police statement on the incident had not been released, neither had the victim and the family been allowed to record statements in relation to the incident.
When contacted for comment by the Nation, the senior police officer did not pick up our calls and had not responded to questions on the case sent to him through SMS.
Genesis of the chaos
Langat said that when he questioned his wife about the phone calls from the senior policeman, she did not respond. This led to tension between them.
He revealed that the conflict started on Thursday night but escalated on Saturday when she allegedly left the compound after issuing threats, including to their child.
Langat claims she returned the following evening in the company of policemen, including the senior officer.
The family reported the threats to the child under OB 04/11/01/2024 at Olbutyo police station, a record made at 12:44 pm.
“On Sunday, the officers came to my home at 6:30 pm and demanded to escort my wife and child out of the homestead,” he says,” Mr Langat alleged, saying he raised questions and resisted the move.
Following a standoff, the officers allegedly beat up the man and forcibly took away the woman and the child as darkness engulfed the area.
The officers reportedly returned to the homestead at around 10pm and broke into the couple’s house where they carted away the woman’s personal belongings.
“They (police) descended on me with slaps, kicks and blows before hitting me with the butt of a gun knocking off the upper part of two of my lower teeth,” Mr Langat alleged
Apart from broken teeth, he said he sustained head, wrist and back injuries and was treated at Sigor sub county hospital.
Aaron Langat, a resident of Kaproron village in Chepalungu, Bomet county showing the teeth allegedly knocked off when Officer Commanding Olbutyo Police Station attacked him as he took his wife and child in the company of four other police officers, in this photo taken on January 15, 2025.
He said efforts to obtain a P3 medical form at the police station and have the matter documented in the last five days have failed.
“From Olbutyo police station to the Chepalungu sub county headquarters in Chebunyo and Assistant County Commissioner’s Office and Deputy County Commissioner’s Office, I have been turned away when I went to seek assistance,” Mr Langat said.
He also travelled to Bomet Central Sub County headquarters, but was referred back to Sigor and Chebunyo as the matter is in the jurisdiction of Chepalungu Sub County, where the incident occurred.
Aaron Langat, when he visited the county police headquarters after officers at Olbutyo, Sigor and Chebunyo declined to take a statement from him after he was allegedly attacked by an OCS and four police officers.
Ms Nancy Siele, the mother of Aaron said she and other family members and neighbours were eyewitnesses to the incident and the excess powers employed by the police.
Ms Siele, the police officers had caused physical and psychological torture to his son and denied him justice, a matter that is well known in the village.
She said, “Despite the fact that we are from a very humble background, it does not reduce us to second class citizens who have no rights in the society. We are calling on those in higher positions to come to the rescue of my son and ensure he gets justice.”
“When the officers appeared for the second time at night on Sunday, I told my son to hide in the maize plantation behind the house so as to avoid further attack against him,” Ms Siele said.
Ms Faith Chepkirui, the younger sister of Mr Langat wondered why the police decided to execute their mission at night.
“Had it been a genuine police case, my brother would have been arrested or summoned to the police station to record a statement. The police would have come to our home in the day and not at night,” Ms Chepkirui said.
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She said following the turn of events, it would not be surprising for the police to turn the pressure on the family by twisting the truth so as to escape responsibility.
Residents of the area said the level of impunity among the police officers deployed to the region was not only shocking but also disheartening.
“It is unfortunate that the officers bestowed with the authority of protecting citizens had breached the trust,” Mr Paul Koech, a resident said.
Mr Koech said the silence from senior police officers and administrators in the region despite the matter being in the open reeked of malice, complicity and complacency.
