By Cyrus Ombati

A police officer was shot dead on Sunday morning by his colleagues in a case of mistaken identity in Kayole, Nairobi.

The killing of Constable Wilson Kamau, attached to the local Administration Police post, caused tension and awkward moments between the regular and their AP counterparts.

Kamau was shot in the head and chest when an alarm was raised by some women, who claimed they were being robbed.  Regular police officers who were on patrol in the area responded and shot the officer, a witness said.  And when they searched his pockets, they found his official identity card and a pair of handcuffs to show he was a police officer.

Kamau’s colleagues said he was on duty on Saturday night and was supposed to fall out on Sunday morning and wondered why the regular officers were quick to “execute” him.

more explosives

“His killing is not out of the robbery claims they are fronting. There is much more and we are seeking answers,” said an officer who asked not to be named.

A witness said two other men escaped on foot and police said they are being sought.   “It is unfortunate,” said Nairobi PPO Anthony Kibuchi.

Kibuchi said he had instructed all station commanders in the city to map regions that are prone to robbery.

Meanwhile, a businessman was arrested and chemicals used to manufacture explosives seized in Kariobangi, Nairobi.

Police have intensified checks and alertness over such chemicals.

The officers said they seized more than one tonne of the chemical, which the owner claimed he had bought to use in making soaps.