An emotional scene played out at the Milimani High Court on Wednesday, October 29, after a former Officer Commanding Station (OCS) from Kayole broke down while testifying in a high-profile murder case involving six police officers accused of killing a suspected robber.
The ex-OCS became visibly overwhelmed as he recounted the dangers of working in Kayole, revealing that he lost 13 officers to armed robbers within just two months of his tenure.
The case revolves around the death of Wycliffe Vincent Owuor, a man previously linked to the Ksh72 million Nairobi West ATM robbery in 2019.
Owuor was fatally shot at Kayole Junction on March 24, 2020, just six months after being released on bond.
“In total, during the three months I served there, 13 officers were killed while on duty, including two traffic officers who were attacked on the road,” the former OCS told the court.
He recalled that on the day Owuor was killed, police received a distress call about armed criminals terrorising residents. A six-member team of officers was dispatched to respond to the threat.
“When the officers arrived, they ordered the suspects to surrender, but the gunmen opened fire. The officers returned fire, killing one suspect while two others escaped on a motorcycle,” he testified.
A March 2020 police report described Owuor’s death as the result of a shootout. However, witnesses and Owuor’s family disputed the official version, alleging that he had been executed after being handcuffed.
Following public outcry, the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) launched an investigation and later recommended murder charges against six officers from the Kayole Police Station.
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) subsequently concurred with IPOA’s findings and approved the arrests.
The trial remains ongoing as the court seeks to determine whether Owuor’s death was the outcome of a legitimate police operation or an unlawful execution.