Police officers have arrested a fugitive who was accused of killing a police officer during the transportation of the 2023 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Examination (KCSE).
The suspect was on the police radar for over a month after he allegedly stabbed the officer to death and stole his colleague's riffle in Siaya.
Police claimed that the fugitive, alongside two other suspects, ambushed the police after intercepting their van heading to Mahero Secondary School.
In efforts to trace them down, police appealed to the public to report the suspects after publishing their names and photos and circulating them nationwide.
A month later, members of the public tipped off the officers, who acted swiftly to arrest the culprit in his hideout in the county.
The suspect was found within the Usenge village in Bondo, where he had been hiding ever since he allegedly committed the crime.
"We appreciate the swift action by members of the public that led to the arrest of the culprit who is currently being held at Lwala Kotieno Police Station, where several charges will be preferred against him," the National Police Service stated.
Police added that the 25-year-old suspect hails from the Kadenge area, where he was a fisherman along the shores of Lake Victoria before being recruited into crime.
Since then, he has been terrorising locals in the Western and Nyanza regions, operating in gangs accused of committing heinous acts.
Two of his friends were killed on the spot a day after they ambushed the police van, according to the police. However, the other two he accompanied on the day he allegedly stabbed the officer to death were still on the run.
"We are urging the rest of the gang members to surrender to the nearest police stations. At the same time, members of the public can share any information on other wanted persons to the nearest Police station or through the toll-free number 0800722203," NPS advised.
