Kakamega murder suspect's short-lived freedom ends in death

Drama unfolded at the Kakamega Law Courts yesterday after a murder suspect made a mad dash for freedom.PHOTO: COURTESY

Drama unfolded at the Kakamega Law Courts yesterday after a murder suspect made a mad dash for freedom.

However, the remandee’s freedom was short-lived after he was later found by officers and shot at a drinking den in Shikhambi village.

Mike Shituma, 27, slipped away from two court orderlies after he appeared before Kakamega Resident Magistrate Felix Makoyo for a mention of his case.

“He took off while being escorted back to court cells. The two orderlies could not immediately give chase because 10 other remandees under their watch could have escaped,” said Alex Wambani, who witnessed the incident.

Besides facing murder charge, Shituma had been accused of robbery with violence. He had been charged with killing two watchmen at a soda depot a month ago.

The two night guards, Samuel Wanjala and Edwin Mate, were murdered in cold blood while on duty.

BUSAA DEN

Shituma, upon freeing himself, went to an unsuspecting motorbike operator outside the court and asked him to take him to a busaa den in Shikhambi.

He had an alternative charge of handling stolen goods belonging to Wanjala, the murdered watchman days after the incident.

A customer at the Shikhambi busaa den told The Standard the suspect appeared uneasy when he joined them. “He looked like he had dodged work at a construction site to cool tension with a tin of busaa but I was taken aback when armed officers came in and asked him to surrender,” said Erick Sande.

Police said a joint operation of regular police and prison warders helped trace the suspect to the drinking den.

“He disobeyed an order to surrender and started running and that’s when an officer aimed at his foot to restrain him,” said Kakamega police boss Tito Kilonzo.

He later succumbed to his injuries at Kakamega Referral Hospital.