A family in Kisima village, Nyahururu town, Laikipia County, is mourning the loss of their son who tragically died last week after being brutally beaten by a shop owner and his staff.
The incident occurred after they accused him of stealing cloth worth Sh500.
The victim, a 17-year-old Form Two student named Stephen Njuguna, was tortured for hours inside the shop premises.
His tormentors only relented when they sensed his life was in danger and allowed him to leave the premises in a critical condition, where he died on Saturday morning.
Protesters demand justice for Stephen Njuguna, a Form Two student who died after being beaten by a businessman and his employees in Nyahururu town.
Photo credit: Waikwa Maina | Nation Media Group
According to police reports, when his attackers realised the seriousness of Njuguna's injuries, they tried to silence him with a can of soda.
Outraged by the brutality, residents protested in Nyahururu town on Tuesday, demanding the immediate arrest of the suspects and the revocation of the shop's trading licence.
Njuguna's father, Mr James Muraya, said he received a distressing call from the shop owner informing him of his son's alleged theft and subsequent detention on the premises.
On reaching the shop, Njuguna's mother found him in excruciating pain and locked in a room.
According to Mr Muraya, the shop owner demanded compensation of ten times the alleged stolen value, a sum of Sh5,000, for his son's release.
But they refused to comply and the victim's mother insisted on his immediate release, threatening to call the police.
"We want investigations to establish what happened in the shop, my wife was not shown the piece of cloth my son allegedly stole," said the father.
Eventually, they relented and Njuguna was taken home.
"He was complaining of severe pains in his stomach and chest. My son told his mother about the beatings, they attacked him with crude weapons, kicking and punching him. We want justice for my son, he died a very painful death," the father said.
However, his condition deteriorated rapidly and his parents rushed him to Nyahururu Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Nyahururu Sub-County Police Commander Jackline Gacheri confirmed the arrest of two suspects and said they would be charged in court.
