The High Court has awarded Allan Omondi, a former JKUAT student, Ksh 8 million after ruling that police brutally assaulted and unlawfully detained him during 2019 protests.
The High Court at Nairobi has awarded Ksh 8 million to Allan Omondi, a former Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) student, after finding that his constitutional rights were violated when police officers assaulted and unlawfully detained him during student protests in 2019.
In a judgment obtained by Don Sami Live, the court ordered the amount be paid jointly by the Inspector-General of the National Police Service and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP). "The Petitioner is awarded the sum of Kshs 8 million for the violation of his rights, payable by the 1st and 2nd Defendants," the judgment read.
The case arose after Omondi was accosted while walking near the university amid student unrest on November 11, 2019, and assaulted by four police officers without prior explanation or lawful justification. Justice Patricia Nyaundi found the assault violated his right to dignity and freedom from cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment under Articles 28 and 29 of the Constitution.
Evidence showed the beating was captured on video and widely circulated, prompting an investigation by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), which confirmed the assault and identified the officers involved.
The court found that the ODPP had determined there was sufficient evidence to charge the officers, but opted instead for diversion — a process for resolving criminal cases outside full court proceedings — which was never carried out. Justice Nyaundi held that the ODPP, as custodian of the diversion process, bore responsibility for operationalising it, and that its failure to do so denied Omondi his right of access to justice under Article 48.
Court documents detail that Omondi was beaten, kicked and restrained in degrading positions before being bundled into a police vehicle and assaulted further while in transit. He was taken to Juja Police Station, held in poor conditions despite his injuries, denied timely medical attention, and eventually released without being formally charged or booked.
Medical and psychological reports presented in court showed he suffered physical injuries and lasting trauma, including symptoms consistent with post-traumatic stress.
The ruling lands amid growing public pressure for accountability and reform within Kenya's security forces, as scrutiny mounts over incidents of police violence, killings, and enforcement actions alleged to violate constitutional rights — particularly during protests.
