Kirinyaga Man Dies After Alleged Beating by Forest Warden

A Kirinyaga man has died from severe brain bleeding caused by blunt force trauma following an alleged beating by Kenya Forest Service rangers, a postmortem examination has found.

David Munene, 44, was allegedly beaten to death by a forest guard at Nyagithuci Village in Kirinyaga County on March 30, 2026, according to his family.

The postmortem examination also revealed multiple severe bodily injuries in addition to extensive brain bleeding.

Munene was last seen alive when he left home to tend to his grazing cows in Mt Kenya Forest, his wife Alice Wanjiku said as it was a routine trip he had made countless times before.

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Alleged bribery and assault leading to injury

That afternoon, Wanjiku received a call from a forest guard informing her that her husband was being held for trespassing.

“The guard demanded a Ksh 20,000 bribe. He said that he had caught my husband cutting down trees in the forest. But I told him that I only had Ksh 500 on me,” Wanjiku recalls.

Attempts to negotiate for his release collapsed after the family failed to raise the money demanded.

“He was detained for hours before he was finally taken to Kerugoya Police Station, where he was locked up for questioning,” she said.

Kirinyaga Police Commander Mohammed Jire confirmed Munene arrived at the station critically injured, with wounds to his head, hand, leg and back.

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Death and subsequent investigation

While at the station, the 44-year-old collapsed and was rushed to Kerugoya Level Five Hospital, where he was admitted in a coma and a head scan revealed severe internal bleeding.

Munene’s death sparked protests on April 8, 2026, with residents blocking roads in Kangaita near the Mt Kenya Forest line.

“The forest guards who brought Munene to the station are known and they are being investigated,” Jire said.

The matter is under investigation by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, while the Independent Policing Oversight Authority has also begun probing the incident.

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David Munene, 44, was allegedly beaten to death by a forest guard at Nyagithuci Village in Kirinyaga County on March 30, 2026, / PHOTO Standard