Kisumu Governor Anyang' Nyong'o has suspended all the county officers who dragged a hawker on the road using a county vehicle.
The governor through a statement expressed his displeasure at the heinous incident, directing all county officers to uphold human dignity.
"All investigations continue on this matter with the urgency it deserves. I have directed the City Manager to immediately suspend from duty all the officers who were involved in this incident with immediate effect until the conclusion of the ongoing probe on the matter.
County askaris drag Beatrice Magolo along the street in Kisumu on Wednesday, March 24, 2021. |Photo| Courtesy|
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“In the meantime, all county officers must carry out their duties while fully respecting the human rights of the wananchi, who should, in return, respect city regulations and the Rule of Law,” the statement read in part.
A video that went viral online showed the county askaris dragging her along the tarmac before she dropped right at the gate of the Kisumu Central Police Station.
Her clothes and innerwear were torn from the incident revealing her bruised hips.
The woman, Beatrice Magolo was dragged by the officers to the booking desk where she was booked for subverting guidelines prohibiting hawking in some streets.
Irate members of the public protested the act by the county officers, prompting uproar from netizens as well.
Beatrice Magolo displays her torn clothes after she was dragged by county askaris along a Kisumu street on March 24, 2021. |Photo| Courtesy|
“The officers declined to book me in, asking me to go and seek treatment, while my son was booked into the cells,” Magolo stated as she left the station on March 24.
She stated that she was on Ang'awa Street headed for the Main Bus Terminus when the county askaris descended on her.
“I was not aware of their presence, so when several hands held me, I tried to turn and see what was happening but it was not possible.
They handled me inappropriately and tried to bundle me into the back of the pickup,” Magolo narrated.
As she tried to resist, members of the public and boda-boda riders who noticed the scuffle surged towards the vehicle forcing the officers to take off.
One askari held on to Magolo's hand forcing her to hang from the vehicle as her feet dragged on the tarmac.
Her son was bundled into the car and locked up after he tried rescuing his mother.
The incident angered Kenyans from across the country, who flocked social media platforms to condemn the act.
County askaris drag Beatrice Magolo along the street in Kisumu on Wednesday, March 24, 2021. |Photo| Courtesy|
