From Stephen Lelei to Katitu and Patrick Shaw: The rise and fall of famed 'super' cops

From Titus Ngamau alias Katitu, to Stephen Lelei and Daniel Seronei, Kenya's super cops have risen and fallen over time, dating back to the era of Timothy Kamunde and Patrick Shaw. The photograph was unforgiving. Taken inside Kibera Law Courts in August 2025, it captured Police Constable Ahmed Rashid seated in the dock, his shoulders slightly hunched and his eyes distant, as though replaying a past only he could see. Once hailed in Eastleigh as a fearless crime buster, Rashid looked less like a celebrated officer and more like a man confronting the full weight of the law he had sworn to uphold. The image travelled swiftly across social media, igniting debate and reopening old wounds about Kenya's complicated relationship with its so-called "super cops". Rashid was in court over the fatal shooting of Jamal Mohamed and Mohamed Dahir Kheri on March 31, 2017, in Eastleigh. The two men were shot as they lay on the ground on a busy street. To his supporters, Rashid had been enforcing order in a neighbourhood gripped by terror. To his critics, he had crossed a line no officer should cross. In that courtroom, the hero-versus-villain narrative collapsed into something far more sobering: a police officer standing trial for murder. Between 2015 and 2017, Eastleigh was plagued by armed gangs that terrorised traders and residents, leaving many with permanent scars. Mostly teenagers believed to be from nearby Mathare, and armed with knives and crude, homemade guns, the gangs targeted mobile phone shops, M-Pesa outlets and other businesses in the bustling neighbourhood largely inhabited by Kenyan Somalis. As insecurity deepened, residents convened meetings and demanded decisive action. They asked for Rashid to be appointed to lead the feared Pangani Six, an undercover team tasked with dismantling criminal networks. Ahmed Rashid, a police officer facing murder charges, for the alleged shooting and killing of a victim in Eastleigh, before the Kibera law courts. [Benard Orwongo, Standard] At the time, he was a detective based in the central business district. Their request was granted. Rashid was transferred to Eastleigh with clear instructions to head the covert unit. Results came quickly. Arrests were made and robberies were foiled. Traders shared tip-offs with him directly. Within months, Rashid's reputation had spread beyond Eastleigh's streets. However, as the Pangani Six gained notoriety, allegations of extrajudicial killings surfaced. Demonstrations followed, led mainly by women from Mathare who accused undercover officers of killing their sons in cold blood. The celebrated protector became, in some quarters, a feared executioner. READ: Police officers hailed in the streets but left to fight court battles alone Then came the video showing Rashid shooting Jamal and Dahir, who appeared to have surrendered. The footage sparked national outrage and calls from human rights groups for his prosecution. What had once been whispered became a formal charge. Rashid was arrested and arraigned, beginning a legal battle that would redefine his career. He faces murder charges in court. Rashid's case is one of many examples of how super cops, once celebrated for heroics, have seen their careers end in controversy. From Titus Ngamau alias Katitu, to Stephen Lelei and Daniel Seronei, Kenya's super cops have risen and fallen over time, dating back to the era of Timothy Kamunde and Patrick Shaw, once among the country's most feared crime busters. Titus Ngamau, alias Katitu Titus Ngamau, alias Katitu, once commanded fierce loyalty. In 2013, when he was arrested for allegedly killing a notorious criminal in Githurai, residents poured into the streets, paralysing traffic along Thika Superhighway. To them, Katitu had done what he was paid to do. But he was charged with the murder of Kenneth Kimani and later sentenced. Crime buster Titus Ngamau, alias Katitu. [File, Standard] In recent interviews after serving his term, Katitu, who was a musician before joining the National Police Service, maintained his innocence, insisting he never killed Kimani. "According to the ballistic report, the bullet that was retrieved from the body of the suspect did not come from my gun. It did not come from my gun," Katitu said in one of the interviews, claiming he carried someone else's cross. In prison, Katitu said he spent most of his time alone, with movement and interactions restricted. "You are separated from your family. You can only be seen through the wire mesh. You don't do what you want. You don't eat what you want, and not even conjugal rights are permitted," he said. Stephen Lelei The former Kabete OCS not only rose to fame and through the ranks owing to his style of combating criminals, but also earned recognition as one of the Westgate heroes. On September 21, 2013, four masked gunmen attacked the upmarket Westgate Mall, throwing grenades and firing indiscriminately at shoppers. Lelei, alias Ocampo, who died in June 2024, was among those who arrived at the mall and managed to rescue some of the victims under siege. He was shot and injured in the foot by the terrorists during the operation. He had received a distress call from taxi drivers who knew his prowess. Lelei was feted for being the first commander to respond to the terror attack. While serving as OCS Mlolongo, Lelei ran into trouble after he and his junior, Frederick Leliman, were charged with the murders of Jacob Mwenda Mbai and Elizabeth Nduku on May 27, 2016. The case turned his life upside down, with the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) recommending that both be charged with murder. However, during the trial, a ballistic expert testified that none of their pistols had been involved in the killings. ALSO READ: Westgate hero Stephen Lelei leaves behind controversial legacy The case drained Lelei mentally, and he died a frustrated man, bitter at how some of his seniors had thrown him under the bus over the Mlolongo shooting incident. Lelei maintained that he did not participate in the fatal shooting, having arrived moments later at the scene. "I was not anywhere near the scene. I do not understand how they arrived at the conclusion that I was involved. In fact, my firearm tested negative following ballistic examination," he said in a previous interview. "It pains me that they have decided to crucify me. Anyway, I will defend myself. My conscience is clear that I was not involved in the murder of the two individuals," he added. In one of the interviews before he died, Lelei said that despite serving diligently, he and other officers had not been rewarded adequately. Daniel Seronei Seronei was praised as a hero for wiping out daring criminals not only in Buruburu Estate in the 1990s, but across the city at large, owing to his dedication to restoring security. He was later appointed to lead a team to hunt down hardened criminals, including Anthony Ngugi Kanagi, alias Wacucu; Bernard Matheri Thuo (Rasta); and Gerald Wambugu Munyeria, aka Wanugu - a task he accomplished, earning promotion to Chief Inspector. In an interview with KTN, Seronei revealed that his promotion did not augur well with some of his colleagues, who allegedly colluded with criminals in an attempt to kill him. True to their plot, they nearly succeeded after firing 56 bullets at his car while he was on patrol. He survived after spending several months in hospital but was left with a permanent disability that affected his performance. Despite being praised for his dedication and service to the nation, Seronei led a lonely life after being relieved of his duties in 2001 under unclear circumstances, which denied him some benefits. He was forced to live with a bullet lodged in his chest as the State and his former superiors turned a deaf ear to his pleas. Patrick Shaw A police reservist, Patrick Shaw, dispatched criminals to their graves without dragging them to court. Shaw was abrasive, aggressive and trigger-happy. Many of his victims, such as Danson Gachui and Peter Mwea Wakinyonga, who dared to challenge him to a fight, ended up in coffins. Born in London, Shaw moved to Kenya in the 1950s, became a citizen and later a police reservist, mostly patrolling the city at night to confront criminals. Owing to his vast network among residents and his methods of tracking criminals, Shaw was often among the first to arrive at crime scenes. With time, he became a target for criminals, while others began accusing him of extrajudicial killings. ALSO READ: Patrick Shaw, reservist famous for extrajudicial killings One of the hardened criminals executed by Shaw was Peter Mwea Wakinyonga, who had challenged him to a fight in Kangemi. It is said that Wakinyonga and his accomplices were celebrating a successful mission when Shaw and other officers, acting on a tip-off, arrived and ordered him to surrender. He became defiant. Shaw died aged 52 of a suspected heart attack. He was discovered dead in his Mercedes-Benz. It is said that among those who attended his burial were criminals who turned up to confirm that the man who had terrified them for so long was indeed dead.

From Stephen Lelei to Katitu and Patrick Shaw: The rise and fall of famed 'super' cops

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