Kenya is slowly taking a step towards becoming a great nation in the world. Extrajudicial killings are slowly being dealt with, which confirms that things are slowly getting better. For years’ Kenyan police have been a law unto themselves and while it may be too early to pronounce that justice prevails, sustained pressure from the public and rights groups and meticulous investigations have helped bring rogue officers to book. Killer cops, even celebrated ones, are increasingly finding themselves behind bars, serving prison terms, or awaiting them. Though justice has been slow, the number of police officers charged and convicted for extrajudicial killings and the number of pending court cases gives hope.
Here is a list of some of the policemen that have been charged; Nahashon Mutua was the former Ruaraka OCS, he was sentenced to death on February 14 for killing miraa trader Martin Koome in the station’s cells five years ago. Koome from Baba Dogo had returned home drunk, quarreled with his wife and threatened to jump to his death, taking their one-year-old child. Police were summoned and took him to the station. He refused to enter the cells, so OCS Mutua beat Koome’s head and ribs with a metal rod. Justice Stella Mutuku found Mutua had killed Koome.
Another top cop Titus Ngamau Musila alias
Two Corporals Benjamin Kahindi Changawa, Stanley Okoti were AP officers were sentenced to death by High Court justice Stella Mutuku for shooting their colleague, AP Constable Joseph Obongo Onchuru at a club in Kangemi, Nairobi, in 2014. They were also convicted of shooting dead two of Onchuru’s relatives, Geoffrey Nyabuto Mogoi and Amos Okenye Makori. Constable Onchuru was the aide of Joel Onyancha who was the Bomachoge MP. He had dropped his boss at JKIA and returned to Kitisuru AP camp base. He had his two relatives take him for a drink at the Kangemi club. They drank but Onchuru sat alone in a corner, raising suspicion. The prosecution said the officer had identified himself and surrendered, but his colleagues shot him at close range. Ipoa recommended the DPP to charge the two with murder.
The High Court handed police officer Salim Mohamed 12 years in jail on November 28 last year for causing the death of Margaret Njeri, 22 in Lamu. The officer tried to arrest a speeding boda boda rider carrying Njeri January 17, 2015. To stop the bike, the officer hurled his gun at him, prompting Njeri to jump off. The gun hit Njeri on the side of the head. She died on March 1. The officer was charged with murder, later reduced to causing the accident that killed the woman.