Police Officer charged with murder of student leader

An administration police officer Constable Leakey Maina (Right) when he appeared at Meru court on July 25, 2018. . [Photo: Olivia Murithi, Standard].

An Administration Police officer accused of killing a university student has been charged with murder.

Constable Leakey Maina (pictured) pleaded not guilty to the charge when he appeared before Justice Francis Gikonyo in a Meru court that was packed with human rights activists and students from several universities.

Mr Maina, who is attached to the Miathene Police Camp, was charged with killing Meru University Student Council Secretary General Evans Njoroge alias 'Kidero' in Kabebe village of Tigania West on February 27.

Before taking a plea, the prosecution led by Patrick Namiti tabled a mental assessment report showing that the accused was fit to stand trial for murder.

Mental assessment

The officer has been in custody in Meru Prison since July 14, when he first appeared in court. He was remanded pending a mental assessment.

After Maina denied the charge, defence lawyer Charles Gachichio applied to have the officer freed on bail, arguing that he was not a flight risk.

But the prosecutor opposed the bail application, saying he was waiting for a comprehensive investigation report from the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (Ipoa) that would indicate whether Maina would interfere with prosecution witnesses.

The court rejected Mr Namiti's appeal to hold Maina for seven days awaiting the Ipoa findings and instead ordered the prosecution to produce the report today before a ruling on bail could be made.