Ruth Nyambura Mbagara, the mother of Ian Njoroge the man in the viral video assaulting a traffic police officer has spoken.
The mother has defended her son’s actions saying the police officer demanded KSh 10,000 bribe from him.
She said he was rushing home to return her car and take his siblings to church as he has always done as a firstborn son.
This was why he made an illegal U-turn that got him in trouble with the traffic officer.
Ruth said her son could not afford the amount of bribe as he was still a university student.
“I was surprised because I have brought my son in a Christian way. He is a boy who has gone to good schools, has grown with manners, is God-fearing, obedient, very polite at home…I have never seen him agitated. Something must have happened to that boy,”
“I asked him why, and he told me he wanted to bring the car back home before the time for going to church, and on his way he met the policeman. It’s true he made a U-turn, the policeman said he wanted KSh.10,000, and he told him he couldn’t raise that because he’s a student and that was his mother’s car. He told him he could raise KSh.5,000, but the policeman refused.” the mother is quoted by the Standard.
The mother apologised for her son’s action and said she was hurt seeing him trend negatively.
“I’m speaking as a mother who has been hurting because of seeing how the boy has trended negatively. I want to apologise, first of all, and say what he did was not right; he was not supposed to beat that man, I already told him that was wrong,” she added.
Njoroge was arrested hours after the incident that caused outrage on social media.
Police pounced on Njoroge at his house in Jacaranda, Kayole.
In the viral video of the assault, Njoroge wearing a red Lakers basketball jersey, jeans and trainers is seen kicking the police officer.
