Woman collapses after police officers snatch her money

Two police officers are being investigated after a changáa brewer in Trans Nzoia County was said to have collapsed and died after one of them allegedly snatched her money.

The officers, from the Kiminini Police Station, allegedly stormed the woman’s house and forcefully took away her purse, which had Sh30,000, after she declined to give them Sh1,000 in protection fees.

Scolastica Marada’s family said the mother of five, who had been in the changáa business for eight years, was in her house on Thursday evening when the two officers came to collect the protection money.

'Protection fees'

Police officers have been accused of collecting bribes from illicit brewers so as not to arrest them, making it difficult to fight the brews that continue to claim lives.

Ms Marada’s sister, Emily Nekesa, said the two police officers walked into the homestead at around 6pm and found them chatting outside.

Ms Nekesa claims her sister walked into the house to collect something and the officers followed her inside.

She said she didn’t think much about it as police officers always collect protection fees from brewers.

"I just knew the officers had come to collect a bribe as usual and would leave because my sister was a chang'aa brewer," she said.

Ms Brenda, a younger sister of Mr Marada, claimed the officers had declined Sh1,000 they were offered.

“So one of the officers grabbed the purse that contained the money my sister had received from her merry-go-round group before leaving the house," she said.

Collapsed

Ms Nekesa said her sister, who had a heart condition, collapsed and was rushed to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead on arrival.

"When I entered the house, I found my sister in a bad state, lying on the floor. I immediately alerted our neighbours, who helped perform first aid and we rushed her to Solona Health Centre for treatment," said Ms Nekesa, Ms Marada’s elder sister.

“On the way, Scolastica who had regained consciousness, was crying and kept saying, ‘Macho nne amenimaliza, macho nne amebeba pesa zangu elfu thelathini nimepata kwa muganda, macho nne leo ameniua’” (The officer in glasses has finished me. He has taken my Sh30,000 I collected from the merry-go-round. He has killed me today.)

She said her sister collapsed immediately after the officer walked away with the money.

“We rushed to the hospital but she was pronounced dead. We don’t know whether or not the officer beat her up but what we know is that she had high blood pressure and was suffering from a heart problem,” she said.

Mr Kisiangani Masibo, an uncle of Ms Marada, said he received a call that her niece had died after being robbed by an officer.

Source of income

He said his niece’s family had depended on the chang'aa business for over eight years.

"My niece suffered from high blood pressure and a heart problem. It appears she was shocked when the officer forcefully took away her money, which she had collected from her group. She wanted to use it to pay school fees for her son," he said.

"The police officers came to collect money from her on several occasions as protection fees."

Protests

Traffic on the Kitale-Webuye highway was disrupted Friday when angry residents barricaded the road and lit bonfires to protest the incident.

Ms Marada’s family and residents called on the National Police Service Commission to investigate the matter.

Residents demanded that the officer be arrested.

"We want action to be taken against the officer who caused the woman's death," said Stephen Barasa, one of the protesters.

Anti-riot police responded to the protests and restored calm.

Investigations

Trans Nzoia County Police Commander Jecinta Wesonga said the incident was being investigated.

"We are aware of the death. We have also established reports that two police officers from Kiminini Police Station allegedly took money from the woman, resulting in riots. The officers have been reprimanded and we are looking into the issue to ascertain the truth," she said.

The body was taken to the Kiminini Cottage Mission Hospital mortuary.