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Man thought dead after brutal police thrashing is alive

Capital FM News spoke to 36 year-old Boniface Manono who narrated his experience at the hands of anti-riot police officers who were filmed beating him mercilessly/MIKE KARIUKI

Capital FM News spoke to 36 year-old Boniface Manono who narrated his experience at the hands of anti-riot police officers who were filmed beating him mercilessly/MIKE KARIUKI

NAIROBI, Kenya, May 17 – A man earlier thought to have died following police brutality at Monday’s CORD protests has been found alive in Kibera.

Capital FM News spoke to 36 year-old Boniface Manono who narrated his experience at the hands of anti-riot police officers who were filmed beating him mercilessly.

Manono told this reporter that he was coming from Westlands and alighted from a matatu due to heavy traffic only to run into trouble with the police who were dispersing CORD protesters.

“I had gone to Westlands to register for Uber (services). As we approached town, I alighted from the matatu because vehicles were not moving. I ran into a crowd which was tear gassed.”

“I started running away and that’s when one policeman hit me on the leg and I fell on the pavement.”

“From there I could feel the thorough beating. I was kicked on my back so many times. Most kicks fell on my backbone and on my hips and legs,” Manono recounted.

When asked if he was a demonstrator, he said he has never been to any demonstration and but was just passing by.

“I was going on with my business… unfortunately I found myself in a crowd of protestors running away and I was running for my dear life when the policeman caught up with me.”

“Luckily I was not hurt on my head. The only kick near my head fell on my shoulder.”

“But I heard one policeman telling his colleague ‘usimumalize’ (do not kill him),” Manono recounted.

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Manono was however unable to explain what appeared to be a stone in his back pocket. “I was not carrying any stone.”

On Tuesday, social media was awash with news that he had died from the beating but this turned out to be false.

Manono was still wearing his green hoodie and a kangol (seen in the photo next to his head) when our crew traced him to Ayany Estate where he was nursing his injuries in bed.

Manono who lives with his uncle in a tiny single room was lying in bed writhing in pain. He suffered soft tissues injuries on the thighs, hip and back.

He said he learnt of his ‘death’ while listening to a radio station in the morning and then at 1pm, he watched himself on TV being kicked and the media reporting that he had ‘died.’

“I was shocked to hear them saying I was dead. My uncle was also in shock. He spoke to my family and told them that I was not dead.”

“I thank God that I am alive. I could have died. When I saw the way I was kicked this afternoon actually it shocked me that it was so bad,” Manono narrated.

After the police left him, he said it was journalists who helped him stand up from where he had fallen.

[fbvideo link=”https://www.facebook.com/polycarp.hinga/videos/vb.100000478508166/1410366682322602/?type=2&theater” width=”500″ height=”400″ onlyvideo=”1″]

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“I strolled and went to Uhuru Park where I rested. I then called my uncle who came for me together with some friends. They arrived at around 5.30pm.”

After Tuesday’s interview, Manono was taken to a hospital along Ngong Road by a well-wisher who led us to his house to confirm that indeed the man though to have died was actually alive.

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