When Paul Njuguna, 32, left his Kiamathare village in Gatundu South on October 8, 2025, at around 10 am, he promised his grandmother that he would bring her a kilo of sugar in the evening.
But by that evening, Njuguna was dead after an encounter with police officers attached to a nearby Kiganjo Police Patrol Base, allegedly after attempting to swallow 20 rolls of bhang wrapped in a polythene bag.
Gatundu South Deputy County Commissioner Ms Rose Chege said that police had received a tip-off about a man who was selling bhang in Kiganjo market.
"Our officers pounced on the man but in a daring move to conceal or destroy evidence, Njuguna put the contraband into his mouth and attempted to swallow it," she said.
Ms Chege said, "The contraband ended up choking him to death, was never held in any police station because he fell to the ground moments later while handcuffed and after he was delivered to the hospital, was pronounced dead".
So controversial was his death that residents raided the police post and burnt it, insisting that Mr Njuguna was deliberately denied first aid and was neglected to die.
Gunshots rent the air as officers tried in vain to repel the residents, but they were unable to protect their workstation from the raid and the fire.
Residents insisted that their anger was justified since swallowing bhang, to them, was not enough ground to cause death.
Paul Njuguna died while handcuffed after being arrested by police for allegedly attempting to swallow 20 rolls of bhang wrapped in a polythene bag to destroy evidence.
Photo credit: Pool | Nation
They argued that first aid should have been immediately administered to fish it out of the mouth or throat.
"If he had swallowed the evidence, then on what grounds was he handcuffed? Is it hard also to notice someone is choking to death and treat the case as an emergency?" posed Mr Simon Ndege, Njuguna’s neighbour.
Njuguna's grandmother, Ms Lucy Wanjiru, says that he was a farmer who had left that morning to sell passion fruits at Kiganjo market.
"My grandson was a farmer and once in a while he would leave home after harvesting his produce, take it to the market and never failed to buy me some item," she said.
She said that she has a history with Njuguna. "Since his disabled mother who is my daughter has also been under my care....I have brought up Njuguna together with his two other siblings."
Ms Anastacia Kilome, who introduced herself as a trained nurse and Njuguna's aunt, said the police acted like sadists.
"It may be true that he attempted to swallow what was said, but that is no longer important. What is important are the obvious signs of a man choking to death. Within half a minute, it would be obvious that the patient was in distress and would certainly clutch at their throat or chest," she says.
A 32-year-old farmer, Paul Njuguna, died while handcuffed after being arrested by police for allegedly attempting to swallow 20 rolls of bhang wrapped in a polythene bag to destroy evidence.
Photo credit: Pool | Nation
She added that the person would be unable to speak and would frantically throw their hands around while calling for help.
The victim would show signs of laboured breathing, gasping, wheezing and coughing, then break out in a sweat before losing consciousness. Brain damage can occur within four to six minutes due to lack of oxygen," said Ms Kilome.
A post-mortem on Njuguna's body at Gatundu South hospital mortuary on October 9, 2025, deduced his death to have resulted from asphyxiation.
"The most probable cause of death was ingesting material wrapped in polythene paper, which caused asphyxiation. The object was found lodged in the airway, causing respiratory distress,' the report reads in part.
Ms Chege, the Gatundu South Deputy County Commissioner, said that the material removed will be taken to a government chemist to ascertain whether it is bhang, and that it has been kept as an exhibit.
She said that she was convinced that the officers who had handled Mr Njuguna in his final moments had acted professionally and were blameless.
However, Njuguna’s grandmother insisted, "I cannot accept such findings. That is a conspiracy theory. My grandson was murdered, either intentionally or through negligence".
She said, "I now see one of my favourite grandchild go to waste just like that."
She revealed that she had educated Njuguna up to Form Four, after which he was admitted to Kiganjo Police Training College. However, he dropped out to become a farmer.
She said she will remember Njuguna as a man who respected others, was obedient and hardworking.
"I will bury him, but the government must know that no amount of evidence will ever convince me that police officers did not cause his death," she said.
