A commotion ensued on Thursday, April 27, at a local bar in Tharaka Nithi County between a police officer attached to Mukothima Police Station and a bar owner.
According to customers who were at the joint at the time, the police officer failed to pay his bill at the bar forcing the owner to confront him.
After a heated argument, the owner reportedly hit the officer which aggravated him to open fire in the wee hours.
"We saw the bar owner hit the officer prompting him to rush to his car and pull out a gun which he used to shoot," detailed one of the witnesses.
The sound of the gunshot then forced revelers to scamper for safety while the bar owner sustained an injury to his stomach.
He was immediately rushed to the hospital for emergency medical attention.
Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) based in the area visited the scene to gather evidence as investigations commenced.
Residents, therefore, called upon the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) to launch an investigation against the officer.
Owner's Double Speak
The residents described the bar owner as a high-tempered man who often engaged in fights when clients failed to pay.
According to the Firearms Act, any public officer who uses a government firearm that is in his possession or under his control for any unlawful purposes is guilty of an offense.
"The officer shall be guilty of an offense, and liable to imprisonment for a term of not less than seven years and not more than 15 years and shall, in addition, be automatically dismissed from the public service and, subject to section 113 of the Constitution, forfeit all rights to any pension, gratuity or other payment which may at the date of his conviction have accrued due to him," reads part of the act.
