The Director of Public Prosecutions has recommended that a police constable who fatally shot and killed a protester in Nakuru earlier this month be charged with murder following the conclusion of preliminary investigations.
The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) confirmed the development shortly after a court ordered that the officer remain in custody as he awaits formal charges.
The officer is accused of killing Daniel Nderitu Maina during a protest in Nakuru on June 9. IPOA, in a statement issued on Tuesday, stated, “Constable (name withheld) was detained further over the killing of a protester in Nakuru to face murder charges.”
He was among ten police officers attached to Central Police Station in Nakuru city who were arrested following the killing of a man during a protest by residents of London Estate.
At the time, chaos erupted in the estate after the police tried to arrest a bhang dealer. Overwhelmed by the protestors, the police officer used live bullets, killing a man on the spot. The man was later identified as Daniel Nderitu Maina.
The residents barricaded the Nakuru-Kampi ya Moto Road and engaged police in a running battle for over an hour. The overwhelmed police officer retreated before reinforcements arrived.
The shooting of the civilian sparked outrage among area locals, who had a different version of events, as they accused officers of brutality over an alleged botched bribery attempt.
Other protesters stormed the Nakuru Level Five Hospital, where the body of the deceased was being held, as they demanded justice. Local leaders reportedly attempted to intervene to no avail.
Following the incident, Nakuru West MP Samuel Arama condemned the incident and raised concerns about how officers from Nakuru East Sub-County were involved in the Nakuru West incident.
Arama said that the officers who were supposed to patrol in Nakuru West were those within the police station in his sub-county.
“What business does an officer from another sub-county have in Nakuru West? Why are officers in civilian clothes moving from Nakuru East to West to arrest bhang dealers?” wondered Arama.
Meanwhile, in a related incident, four police officers, including Central Police Station OCS Samson Talaam, continue to remain behind bars after denying murder charges.
