By FRANCIS NGIGE
Last June the life of Shadrack Ndumia Mathenge, a young energetic man, was snuffed out by a General Service Unit (GSU) officer’s bullet inside the expansive Solio Ranch.
One of his colleagues sustained bullet wounds in his right hand forcing two of his fingers to be amputated.
His colleagues were arrested and taken to Mweiga Police Station and later set free without being charged in court.
Police later explained that Ndumia was in a group of four men allegedly on a poaching mission inside the ranch, which also has a rhino sanctuary.
Peter Ndungu Muthoni who was shot by police at Solio Ranch, Nyeri. {PHOTO GEORGE MULALA/ STANDARD]
Although the police branded Ndumia and his colleagues as poachers, CCI established the shooting could have been a cover up.
Investigations by CCI have revealed that Ndumia could have been killed to cover up a major syndicate among security officers allegedly involved in poaching.
Prior to the shooting, three rhinoceros had been killed by poachers at the sanctuary and their horns removed.
An employee at the ranch, who asked not to be named for fear of victimisation, intimated that the rhinos had bullet wounds while one was killed using a poisoned arrow.
The worker said the killing of the two rhinos fuelled speculation that GSU officers were poaching.
"Local poachers use snares and poisoned arrows. The killing of the two rhinos therefore speaks volumes about the involvement of the security officers," he said.
When the carcasses were examined, it was discovered that AK47 rifles had been used. The bullets, which were still lodged in the bodies, were those of AK47 rifles commonly used by the officers.
Rhino horns are on high demand especially in Asian countries, where they are smuggled for their alleged aphrodisiac properties.
Ndumia’s colleagues and residents in Lamuria and Ngareng’iro villages in Nyeri District believe that his killing could have been a plot by the GSU officers to conceal their illegal activities.
Police’s coverup
They claim regular police officers who later handled the matter seemed keen on covering up the matter.
Peter Ndung’u Muthoni, Ndumia’s friend, says immediately after the killing, the GSU officers attempted to coerce the three to implicate Ndumia as a gang leader of poachers at the ranch.
And police officers at the Mweiga Police Station tried to defend their colleagues.
They allegedly warned Ndumia’s friends of dire consequences if they attempted to follow up his death.
According to one of them who asked not to be named, they were released on condition that they do not follow up his death. Their families are pointing fingers at the police for killing and injuring their kin. If they were poachers, why then didn’t the police follow up the matter?
Muthoni said they were not armed adding only one of them had a walking stick.
He said it is normal for residents of the nearby villages to stroll into Solio Ranch.
"We are used to going into the ranch freely. Although there are people involved in poaching, that has never been our business," said Ndung’u.
He said they were moving across the ranch to Lamuria area.
"We were not armed when the police officers opened fire at us. We did not attempt to run away when we were challenged to stop," said Ndung’u.
He said although poaching was rampant, it focused on small animals such as antelopes and hares.
"Locals go for animals to slaughter for food. No one goes for big animals like rhinoceros," he said.
Ndumia’s father, Peter Mathenge, is yet to come to terms with the death of his only son.
When we traced him at Ngareng’iro village, the old man said attempts to get justice from the police had hit a brick wall.
"I tried to seek answers from the officers at Mweiga Police Station to no avail. No one was willing to co-operate," he told CCI.
Mathenge said he sensed something was a miss when a senior police officer warned him against following up the case.
"He told me to collect the body and prepare for the funeral. He fumed that if I attempt to make enquiries it might land me in trouble," said Mathenge.
He said the officer threatened to arrest him as an accomplice in poaching.
"No post mortem examination was done on the body. The police told me that I had to bear the cost of the post mortem," said Mathenge.
Since the family had no money for post mortem, they hurriedly organised for his burial.
"I was warned never to set foot at the police station to inquire about my son’s death. The officer who was dealing with the matter demanded that for the body to be released, I make a promise never to follow up the matter," Mathenge recalled.
Residents of the area say the GSU officers are involved in poaching.
The General Manager of the ranch Mr Edward Parfet conceded that poaching in the ranch was on the rise.
"Although I cannot rule out collusion between the GSU and the poachers, I have no credible evidence to implicate them," said Parfet in a telephone interview.
Criminal rangers
He, however, recalled of an incident a few years back when a Kenya Wildlife Service ranger was shot dead in the ranch while poaching.
Parfet said rangers from the Aberdare Game Reserve were on normal patrol when they encountered armed men attempting to kill an animal.
"A shoot out ensued and one of the armed men was killed. It was later discovered that the slain man was a KWS ranger who was off duty. Since then, I believed that anything is possible," said Parfet.
But KWS assistant Director in charge of the region Mr Baraza Otunga absolved the security personnel attached to the ranch from any wrong doing.
Otunga said it was not possible for security people given the task of protecting the animals to turn against them.