Delphine Nyanganyi wife to Alfred King'oina who was killed by unknown people in Nakuru koleni estate on September 27, 2022. [Harun Wathari Standard]

A family is crying for justice after the death of a man who was publicly tortured by people alleged to be police officers.

Alfred King'oina, a matatu driver on the Njoro-Nakuru route, was pronounced dead at a private hospital where his colleagues took him.

"They handpicked him among his colleagues at work. We wonder what daring criminals would do that next to a traffic police roadblock," said the man's brother, Robert Osiago.

"We demand justice. There is no way they can convince us that these were criminals and not police officers in civilian clothes. What crime had he committed that they felt he didn't deserve to be taken to court?"

His widow Delphine Nyang'anyi said they last spoke in the morning as he enquired whether she had taken their son back to school.

"I want justice for my husband and our three children. He was not a criminal. He worked himself out as a driver to provide for his family. The children as asking me hard questions," she said.

King'oina's colleague Griffin Apoko said the suspects alighted from a pickup truck, which had civilian registration numbers, at the Koleni matatu terminus and confronted King'oina.

"One of them had a pistol, another had handcuffs and the other had a communication radio. Without speaking, one of them started slapping him," said Apoko.

"He managed to free himself and boarded a matatu that was leaving the stage. The unknown persons chased after the vehicle."

Colleagues and onlookers trailed the two vehicles and caught up with them at Eveready roundabout, barely two kilometres away.

"They had handcuffed King'oina to the seat as they beat him up," he said.

The crowd got charged, demanding that they take him to the nearby Kaptembwo Police Station.

"They declined but the crowd threatened to lynch them. The armed man shot in the air but the crowd stood its ground. They uncuffed him, but he collapsed," said Apoko.

Nakuru West sub-County Police Commander Edwin Otieno denied claims that the suspects were police officers, adding that investigations were on.