Shocking Testimony Emerges in Kianjokoma Brothers Murder Trial: Witness Describes Brutal Police Assault
Nairobi, Kenya - A chilling eyewitness account has rocked the Milimani High Court, where a security guard detailed how two police officers savagely beat brothers Boniface Njiru and Emmanuel Mutura into unconsciousness before bundling them into a patrol vehicle on the night they died. The testimony, delivered on Monday, paints a harrowing picture of the events that unfolded four years ago in Kianjokoma, Embu County, and directly contradicts the police narrative that the siblings jumped from a moving vehicle.
The incident occurred on August 1, 2021, around 10 p.m., amid the strict COVID-19 curfew enforcement across the country. Boniface Njiru, also known as Benson, and his brother Emmanuel Mutura had just left Namuru Bar and Restaurant in Kianjokoma, accompanied by four friends. As the group spotted an approaching police vehicle, panic set in. They scattered in different directions, desperate to avoid arrest for violating the nighttime restrictions.
Hidden inside a nearby public toilet and illuminated by the area's bright lights, security guard Newton Kinyua, who worked at Namuru Bar, had a clear view of the chaos. Kinyua, who knew the brothers well from their shared neighborhood, where the siblings ran a local butchery, recounted watching in horror as a police officer leaped from the vehicle clutching a long stick. The officer zeroed in on Boniface, delivering repeated, forceful blows until the young man collapsed, rendered completely unconscious on the ground.
Moments later, Mutura, who had sought refuge inside the adjacent Wahome Building, could no longer stand by. He rushed out to aid his fallen brother, only to face immediate retaliation. Two officers, including the one with the stick, turned their fury on him, pummeling him with a barrage of kicks and punches. Mutura crumpled to the ground, bloodied and barely responsive, but still showing signs of life.
Without hesitation, the officers hoisted the limp body of Boniface into the back of their police Land Rover. They then assisted the groaning Mutura, who was struggling but conscious enough to move with help, into the vehicle as well. The patrol car sped off in the direction of Kianjokoma Hospital, a route Kinyua later confirmed by spotting the same vehicle departing the facility after a brief stop. It was not until the following morning that Kinyua learned the devastating news: both brothers had succumbed to their injuries and were pronounced dead.
This graphic testimony forms a cornerstone of the ongoing trial against six police officers charged with the murder of the Kianjokoma brothers. The accused individuals, James Mwaniki Njogu, Benson Mbuthia, Consolota Kariuki, Nicholas Cheruiyot, Martin Wanyama, and Lilian Cherono, entered not guilty pleas on August 17, 2021, shortly after their arrests. They were granted bond and have remained free pending the proceedings.
During intense cross-examination by defense advocates Martina Swiga and Danstan Omari, Kinyua stood firm on his observations. He explicitly stated that he never witnessed the brothers leaping from the moving police vehicle, a claim initially put forward by authorities to explain their deaths. That version suggested the siblings had been arrested peacefully, placed in the vehicle, and then inexplicably jumped out while it was in motion, leading to fatal injuries upon impact with the road. Kinyua's account, however, shatters that explanation, implying instead a premeditated and violent cover-up.
Presiding over the case is High Court Judge Margaret Muigai, who assumed responsibility following the untimely death of the original trial judge, Justice Daniel Ogembo. Ogembo had issued a stringent order prohibiting the accused officers from entering Kianjokoma village until the trial concluded, a measure aimed at safeguarding the community amid simmering tensions. The courtroom atmosphere remains charged, with the prosecution building a case on multiple witness statements that echo Kinyua's brutal depiction of the arrests.
The tragic deaths of Boniface and Emmanuel ignited a firestorm of outrage in Embu County and beyond. Widespread protests erupted almost immediately, with demonstrators decrying police brutality and demanding justice for the brothers. The unrest peaked in violence, culminating in the torching of a police vehicle as crowds vented their fury over what many viewed as yet another instance of extrajudicial killing during the curfew era.
As the trial presses forward, additional testimonies are slated for February 12 and 19, 2026, promising further revelations in this long-overdue quest for accountability. Families and activists alike hope Kinyua's vivid recollection will tip the scales toward a verdict that honors the memory of the Kianjokoma brothers and curbs the pattern of unchecked police aggression in Kenya's heartland. The nation watches closely, reminded that four years on, the wounds from that fateful night in Embu remain raw and unresolved.