A heart-wrenching incident unfolded on Friday morning along the Ngong-Kiseriam road, as a 76-year-old man from Ngong, Kajiado County, met an unfortunate fate. Collapsing suddenly, he tragically lost his life after an encounter with traffic police officers. Eyewitnesses claim that the officers, in an act of alleged corruption, demanded a bribe from the elderly man.
The incident took place when the elderly gentleman, a contractor, was driving his Toyota Fielder station wagon from Kiserian en route to Ngong. As he made his way, he was signaled to stop by the officers, presumably for a routine inspection. Out of the five officers present, two briefly inspected his vehicle before soliciting a bribe.
Reportedly, one male officer entered the man’s car, and they drove approximately 100 meters to a nearby shopping center. It is believed that the officer intended to either withdraw money from an Mpesa shop or obtain loose change. Nearby truck drivers recounted seeing the man emerge from his vehicle, searching for Sh1,000 in loose cash, prepared to offer it as a bribe. However, he mentioned to them that he was only willing to part with a Sh200 bribe. Meanwhile, another officer remained in the man’s car, waiting.
An eyewitness shared, “Mzee got the Sh1,000 loose and got back to his car. It seems they disagreed on the amount before the officer came out hurriedly.” Unfortunately, within 15 minutes, the officers called for a police vehicle to rush the man to Ngong Sub-county Hospital. Tragically, he was pronounced dead upon arrival. His vehicle remained unattended on the roadside throughout the afternoon.
Ngong Sub-county Police commander, Hussein Gura, stated that the man had been flagged down by a traffic police officer as part of a routine operation when he suddenly collapsed and passed away while en route to the hospital. Gura sought to exonerate his officers from the bribe demand claim, mentioning that the family had informed them about the man’s pre-existing heart condition since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.
During Friday afternoon, members of the immediate family gathered in small groups at Ngong Sub-county Hospital, attempting to come to terms with the loss of their beloved patriarch. After holding prayers, they chose not to address the media, understandably overwhelmed by grief and sorrow.
