Two police officers have been detained following the fatal shooting of a 20-year-old man in Mukuru kwa Njenga, Embakasi, in an incident that has increased public concern and renewed scrutiny of police conduct.
The IPOA said the officers were arraigned in the Milimani Law Courts on Monday, January 12, where the judge granted the Authority 14 days to detain the officers pending the completion of investigations into the shooting.
IPOA said the incident happened at about 6:10 a.m. on January 11 in the Imara Daima area. Preliminary findings indicate that the deceased was in the company of two colleagues, delivering a motor vehicle to a client, when they became involved in a traffic altercation with a matatu.
The situation reportedly escalated and the matatu driver called in other operators, forcing the three men to flee the area for their safety. They later parked the vehicle near Mukuru Community Centre School and began walking back, heading towards the scene of the disagreement.
It was during this walk that the three were intercepted by two police officers, who allegedly ordered them to lie on the ground. According to IPOA, in the course of the encounter, one officer opened fire, shooting the young man in the head. He died on the spot due to the severity of the injury.
IPOA chairperson Ahmed Issack Hassan said he personally supervised the post-mortem examination done on January 11, that confirmed the victim died of one penetrating gunshot wound on the head.
“The two officers involved were arrested and taken before the Milimani Law Courts. The court allowed our application for custodial orders and directed that they be detained for 14 days to enable the completion of investigations,” IPOA said in a statement.
It listed evidence that it has collected includes police records, documents from the scene, statements by eye-witnesses, and post-mortem report and these will form the basis for their final findings. IPOA, therefore, called on members of the public to remain calm during the course of the investigations, thereby assuring Kenyans that the case will be handled independently, impartially, and within the confines of the law.
