Amidst the tranquility of Shinyulu village, Boaz Katiechi and his friend Daniel Kochwa quietly slipped out of their homes on Saturday, June 27, 2024. Their destination was Warembo Pub in neighbouring Khwisero, Kakamega County, where their girlfriends worked as barmaids. The excitement of the evening, however, would soon turn into a nightmare.
Katiechi, 28, and Kochwa, 21, refuelled their motorcycle and made their way to the pub after confirming their plans.
The date was set for 11pm, but unbeknownst to them, chaos was brewing at the pub they were heading to. Drunken men, armed with crude weapons, had stormed the establishment, forcing the owner to call the police. The officers arrived, ejecting the troublemakers and standing guard outside to prevent further disturbances.
As the pub closed, the women retreated to their nearby rented house to freshen up before joining their eagerly waiting dates. Katiechi and Kochwa had arrived earlier, their motorbike parked outside the house. It was at this moment that tragedy struck.
One of the police officers, noticing the two men on the motorbike, opened fire without warning. Kochwa was killed instantly, while Katiechi managed to escape, though not unscathed. "I heard a gunshot and saw my friend fall off the motorcycle. In panic, I sped away, bullets whizzing past me," Katiechi recounted from his hospital bed at Butere Sub-County Hospital, where he is being treated for six bullet wounds.
The senseless shooting left the community in shock and mourning. Montana Adhiambo, one of the barmaids, expressed her anguish. "It hurts that the police didn't bother to ask who we were. Atulo died because he came to pick me up. I don't know what to say," she said, tears in her eyes. Her friend, Jane Angelina, questioned the police's actions. "Why did the officers shoot innocent men outside our house, yet they dispersed the unruly pub goers without firing a single shot?" she asked, bewildered.
Albert Atulo, the deceased's father, struggled to come to terms with his loss. "He was a responsible young man and the breadwinner of our family. Losing him is heartbreaking," he said, his voice heavy with grief. The incident has drawn the attention of human rights activists and the Independent Police Oversight Authority, who have launched an investigation.
Brenda Kusa, director of the Samrin Integrated Educational Support Programme, condemned the police's actions. "Our security officers need proper training on firearm use. The newly appointed Inspector General of Police, Douglas Kanja, must ensure all officers undergo refresher courses," she demanded. Kusa highlighted the ongoing trauma for families who lost loved ones during recent anti-government protests, insisting that justice must be served.
Kusa also revealed a startling twist: one of the barmaids was allegedly dating a police officer. "The officer called the woman, but a man answered. He rushed to her house and shot the young man," she claimed. However, a police report from the Khwisero Criminal Investigation Department painted a different picture.
According to the report, the officers were responding to an attempted burglary, acting on a call from Montana Adhiambo about a house break-in by five men.
Khwisero Sub-County Police Commander James Momanyi urged patience. "Let the investigating agencies clarify the cause of the shooting," he stated, as detectives began their probe into the tragic events of that night.
As the investigation unfolds, the community of Shinyulu remains gripped by grief and anger, demanding answers and accountability for the senseless loss of a young life.
