The trial of six Kenya Wildlife Services rangers charged with the abduction of missing fisherman Brian Odhiambo has brought to the fore the brutality of the rangers towards the community bordering the Lake Nakuru National Park under the guise of enforcing a ban order on fishing activities at the lake.
Four witnesses who took to the stand to testify against the officers painted a picture of a failed relationship between the KWS and the community bordering the park.
On one hand, the young men who see fishing activities as the only opportunity to eke a living have risked their lives by defying the order and trespassing into the electric fenced park to try their luck.
The KWS officers on the other hand have devised some of the most painful and cruel methods of dealing with trespassers which have left the victims with serious trauma.
A number of youths bear scars from beatings and torture, others jailed for illegal fishing activities and others forced to part with huge sums of cash in exchange of their freedom.
Ms Agnes Achieng, neighbor of the missing fisherman Brian Odhiambo testifies in court on January 18, 2025
Photo credit: Boniface Mwangi/Nation Media Group
In the case of Mr Odhiambo, the witnesses gave accounts of the excessive force and inhumane manner in which the KWS officers dealt with illegal fishermen.
The attention of the court was on Monday drawn to the January 18 incident at Manyani estate in Nakuru East sub-County where Mr Odhiambo was last seen being captured by the six KWS officers.
Ms Agnes Achieng Oluoch, a resident and neighbour to Mr Odhiambo, in her testimony before Principal magistrate Kipkurui Kibelion recounted the events.
She was washing clothes outside her house, about 30 metres from the park fence, when she saw Odhiambo jump the two fences from park while being pursued by a green KWS land cruiser with six officers at around 10 am.
Odhiambo was running out breath when he ran passed her. The officers managed to get hold of him five meters from where she was.
“They descended on him with kicks and blows and he fell down bleeding from the mouth. Four of the officers continued kicking him and stepping on his head against the ground. He appeared helpless and in deep pain but none of the rangers seemed to care. It was such a brutal beating that I have never seen in my life,” said Ms Achieng.
After beating up Odhiambo for about 10 minutes, the officers led him towards the park where two other KWS officers were waiting. They threw him over the fence into the park before dragging and bundling him onto the land cruiser which immediately drove off to escape the wrath of a surging crowd.
Odiambo’s brother Calvin Otieno told the court that his brother went into the Lake Nakuru National Park shortly after breakfast at their mother’s house.
According to Otieno, they worked on shifts with Odhiambo and would alternate between night and day. On the fateful day, it was Odhiambo’s turn on the morning shift. While he remained behind, someone by the name Alex came running and informed him that his brother had been captured by the KWS officers.
“I rushed to the scene. When arrived they had already crossed over with him into the park and as they dragged him into the land cruiser, I kept on pleading with them to come back so that we can talk but they all ignored my pleas,” said Otieno.
Mr Calvin Otieno, brother of the missing fisherman Brian Odhiambo testifies in court on January 20, 2025.
Photo credit: Boniface Mwangi/Nation Media Group
He said he witnessed his brother Odhiambo being tortured by the officers. Otieno testifying that Odhiambo looked unconscious but the officers continued to beat him up.
“They kicked his head and applied stinging nettle on his face. I called my brother but he looked angry and unconscious. One of them held his leg and dragged it against the ground towards the land cruiser. They always beat us and apply the stinging nettles on our bodies but they never got to the extent of the torture they gave to my brother,” said Otieno who admitted having previously served a one jail term for the illegal fishing
His attempts to plead for mercy on his brother’s behalf seemed to fall on deaf ears as the officers bundled Odhiambo onto the land cruiser before driving off.
Ms Elizabeth Auma, Odhiambo’s mother also saw the last moments of her son being dragged onto the land cruiser as he writhed in pain when he was pricked by thorns and twigs.
The mother explained how her efforts to look for the child in the police station resulted into frustrations.
She visited Bondeni Police station three times and Nakuru Central Police station twice over Odhiambo’s arrest.
After failing to get him at the police station she -proceeded to the Nakuru level five hospital with hopes that he may have been taken there for treatment. This was also in vain.
She then went back to the Lake Nakuru National Park administration office where the Park’s assistant Director David Oyugi gave her a heartbreaking response.
Elizabeth Auma, mother of the missing fisherman Brian Odhiambo testifies in court on January 20, 2025
Photo credit: Boniface Mwangi/Nation Media Group
“He told me to go and wait for 48 hours to see if the body would float just to confirm that he was not drowned in the lake. ,” she said.
The response provoked anger among the youth in the area who protested what they felt was brutality and disrespect from the senior warden. On noticing the rage from the community, Mr Oyugi allegedly allowed them to carryout a search a section of the park but did not recover the body.
The court in its ruling directed the KWS Director General to provide car track and speed governor details of the two vehicles at the lake Nakuru National Park in the next seven days.
The hearing will continue on July 7, 14 and 21.
