Cop in deadly Uasin Gishu bar shooting detained for 10 days

A court in Eldoret has allowed police to detain for ten more days an officer who shot two people dead, including his girlfriend, at Jua Kali in Uasin Gishu county.

Senior principal magistrate Onkoba Mogire also ordered that the officer, Erick Kirui, be taken for medical examination and treatment at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital.

“I direct that he be returned to court on July 14, for the mention of the case,” Onkoba said.

His lawyers had also asked that he be released on bail, but the magistrate rejected the application.

Kirui had last Monday appeared before the court where police are seeking 14 days to hold him for investigations.

He is being investigated in relation to the murder of Carolyne Malakwen and Ignatius Kipchumba at a pub in Jua Kali on June 26.

The prosecution, led by Erick Kiama, opposed bail for the suspect on the grounds that he was a flight risk and investigations are yet to be completed.

Kiama said the suspect was facing a serious charge and although he has the right to bail, there must be compelling reasons for the same to be granted.

“The court must look at the gravity of the matter before making a decision on bail.”

He argued that the accused was a police officer and that it was for his own safety that he should remain in custody until investigations are completed.

Witness statements were yet to be recorded and the gun used to commit the murder was yet to be subjected to ballistic tests.

However, lawyer Stephen Ombego had opposed the application to detain the suspect, arguing that he was a police officer whose residence was known.

Ombego said the suspect was living with one of the deceased and paid rent.

He had also argued that 14 days was a long period and that the suspect had no role to play in the ballistic examination on the gun.

“Just because police have not completed investigations is not reason enough to deny my client his right to bail,” Ombego argued.

A police record indicated that members of the public reported that an armed officer by the name Erick Kirui had shot people at Kokwet bar.

OCS Jua Kali and officers from Sugoi patrol base visited the scene and found it was Kirui, a police constable, of Tembelio Police Station, Moiben subcounty.

“He was armed with an AK47 rifle and was very drunk and violent,” the police report showed. 

The report said with the reinforcement of the officers who turned up, he was arrested and disarmed while attempting to flee from Kokwet pub.

During the incident, one Antony Mbifa was hit by a ricochet bullet and sustained an injury on his right side of the head.