An elite multi-agency team comprising the police, the military and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has been enlisted in the hunt for fugitive police officer Corporal Caroline Kangogo, who is accused of two murders.
Ms Kangogo is wanted for allegedly killing a fellow police officer in Nakuru and another man in Juja, Kiambu County.
Among measures being taken are surveillance on major highways, including the Nairobi-Nakuru-Eldoret and the Nairobi-Mombasa highways and in hotels and monitoring communication.
“We have expanded our hunt to major highways, hotels, lodges and other places where we feel she could be hiding. Soon we shall arrest her,” said a senior detective with the DCI Special Service Unit.
For the past seven days, Ms Kangogo had dodged police dragnets, raising questions about the effectiveness of police tactics.
Nakuru County Criminal Investigations Officer Anthony Sunguti said the search had been complicated by the suspect’s dumping her known mobile phone.
“The suspect has switched off her phone so that police cannot track her moves. However, our teams have stepped up their hunt for her,” Mr Sunguti told the Nation.
Fresh details in case of woman shot after being ‘mistaken’ for Caroline Kangogo
On Sunday, he denied reports circulating on social media that the officer had been traced to Nakuru and later Eldoret.
“I have seen some information circulating on social media that Kangogo was traced to Kenlands in Nakuru and later in Eldoret. That is untrue,” he said.
“It is now increasingly becoming important for her to surrender to the police. The more she continues to be on the run, the more we continue to categorise her as an extremist and the consequences will be detrimental.”
Barnabas Kibor, father of police officer Caroline Kangogo, during an interview at his home at Rorok village, Anin sub-location, in Keiyo North, Elgeyo Marakwet County, on July 8, 2021.
Photo credit: Jared Nyataya | Nation Media Group
Postmortem examination results revealed that the Juja businessman she is believed to have killed was felled by a single bullet.
Peter Njeru Ndwiga died from excessive bleeding, the report said.
The procedure, witnessed by DCI officers, was conducted by Government Pathologist John Maithya at the General Kago Hospital mortuary in Juja last week.
Ms Kangogo’s family in Nyawa village, Elgeyo Marakwet County, has pleaded with her to surrender to the police.
Her distraught parents, Barnaba Kipkoech Korir and Leah Jepkosgei Kangogo, on Wednesday regretted their daughter’s action.
“Ajisalimishe kwa polisi sababu pia yeye ni askari ambaye anajua sheria. Ni vizuri ajitoe na ajisalimishe kwa polisi (I urge her to surrender to police because she is also an officer who knows what the law says. It is important that she gets out of her hiding and surrenders to police),” he said.
