Policeman who shot dead his senior to be held for eight days
Police corporal Joseph Kamau Muthunga when he appeared before a Naivasha court.
What you need to know:
- The accused declined to be taken to Naivasha Police Station over what he termed as psychological reasons.
- The accused had earlier on indicated that he wanted to be taken to Naivasha Sub-county Hospital.
A Naivasha court has directed that a police officers who is accused of shooting dead his senior be held in police custody for eight days to allow the conclusion of investigations.
On Tuesday, when Corporal Joseph Muthunga was arraigned in court, he appeared dazed as he stood in the dock, at times mumbling inaudible words.
The accused ask the court to allow him to be taken for counseling, saying he had been 'psychologically tortured' following the incident.
He also told the court that he was remorseful of his actions.
"It was a single mistake," he humbled. "I'm also requesting time to find a lawyer to represent me in court. I'm unnerved by the incident.”
An official police report says Mr Muthunga, showed up for duty at Kedong Ranch in Naivasha late and seemingly drunk.
He took offence when the officer in charge of the camp, Senior Sergeant Ayub Polo, reprimanded him for his lateness.
"The suspect came to the camp drunk and got angry when he was questioned about his behaviour by his senior," Naivasha Deputy County Commissioner Kisilu Mutua said.
Shot five times
The officer is said to have shot his boss five times, killing him instantly. At the scene, police recovered five 7.62mm spent cartridges.
During the court proceedings, the accused had declined to be taken to Naivasha Police Station over what he termed as psychological reasons, but failed to cite an alternative station.
The accused had earlier on indicated that he wanted to be taken to Naivasha Sub-county Hospital.
Earlier on during the proceedings, investigating officer Solomon Kirwa, in a sworn affidavit, had asked the court to allow police to continue holding the suspect for 14 days.
“The investigations shall include, recording witness statements, taking the rifle used in the shooting for ballistic analysis. The suspect will also undergo a mental assessment test in addition to a postmortem test on the deceased,” he told the court.
The accused is Administration Police officer stationed at Akira Kedong Ranch AP Camp where the incident happened.
However, the court declined to grant the 14 days, and instead directed that the accused be held for eight days.
The case will be heard before duty court on January 6, 2022, for further directions.
