Police officer sentenced to 30 years for beating man to death

Justice Kiarie W. Kiarie ruled that officer William Muriuki Nyaga grossly abused his authority when he assaulted Stephen Ndiuni at Equator Springs Hotel in Gwa Kungu in Nyahururu, leaving him critically injured.

In his judgment, the court said the officer had been entrusted by the public to protect life and property but instead turned against an unarmed civilian.

“To whom much is given, much is equally expected,” the judge observed, adding that Nyaga had failed in his duty as a law enforcement officer.

Although Nyaga had initially been charged with murder alongside two civilians, the court reduced the charge to manslaughter after finding that the prosecution had not proved malice aforethought, a key requirement for a murder conviction.

The court heard that on May 24, 2020, Stephen was suspected of being involved in an altercation at the hotel. Without verifying the allegation, Nyaga, in the company of others, attacked him. Despite Stephen’s pleas of innocence, the officer repeatedly beat him using his boots and a stick until he was left helpless.

In a separate ruling delivered today, Justice Wakiaga stated that Nyaga “betrayed the public’s trust by brutally beating the deceased and leaving him overnight to die a painful death.”

Investigations into the incident were conducted by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), while International Justice Mission (IJM) – Kenya represented the victim’s family as counsel during the trial.