Deadly grudge: Court finds Nakuru officer guilty of killing his boss

Court gavel.[Courtesy] The Nakuru High Court has convicted a police officer for killing his superior following a protracted grudge. Justice Julius Nangea observed that Jackson Kipkoech intentionally shot Sergeant Christopher Kimeli dead. He will be sentenced next month. According to the prosecution, the officer allegedly killed his senior, Officer Kimeli, on August 8, 2023, at the K9 Unit, Dog section in Nakuru County. "The kind of weapon used leaves no doubt that the accused knew that death could result," the judge said. The court heard that on August 7, 2023, at around 6 pm, Dickson Rotich assigned Kipkoech rifle serial no. BK 5804 with 30 rounds of ammunition. Rotich claimed Kipkoech left for the night sentry duty at Gate B of the station alongside his colleague, Samson Kigo. The following day, at around 4 am, other officers arrived with two suspects allegedly arrested over theft. Minutes later, Officer Kimeli, during his routine inspections, directed the suspects to be taken to the reporting office, which the officers complied. The witness said that Kimeli and Kipkoech engaged in a bitter exchange of words at the reporting office, with Kimeli calling him a fool for failing to escort the suspects. Kipkoech complained that the senior officer called him a fool and had threatened to finish him. "Kipkoech cocked his gun and went outside while Kimeli followed him after booking suspects, we suddenly heard gunshots, Kipkoech said he had finished him and surrender his gun while asking to be arrested," the witness added. Francis Karori, a ballistic expert, testified that the spent cartridge and the 29 remaining ammunition were fired from the AK-47 gun Kipkoech had based on the firing pin markings, which were unique to every gun. Dr. Titus Ngulungu, the pathologist who conducted the postmortem, said a bullet exited from the back, leaving a 40mm wound on the upper chest. Ngulungu revealed that the cause of death was a single close-range gunshot wound to the chest that resulted in chest organs, lungs, heart, and spinal injuries. Kipkoech, in his defence, said the officer had questioned him why arrested suspects had not been taken to Nakuru Central Police Station. Before he responded, he claimed the officer verbally abused him. "He called me stupid and claimed I didn't know my work. I didn't react, he taunted and insulted me in the presence of other officers, grabbing my firearm," he added. He claimed that they fought, then the gun nozzle pointed at Officer Kimeli's chest, and the trigger went off. Kipkoech added that before the incident, Kimeli had followed around 50 meters, claiming he never intended to kill him. "Although the accused was angered by the deceased's insults, this was no grave or sudden provocation to remove the case from the realm of murder in law," the judge noted. Justice Nangea observed that Kipkoech must have known that shooting could cause death, therefore driven by malicious afterthought.

Deadly grudge: Court finds Nakuru officer guilty of killing his boss

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Deadly grudge: Court finds Nakuru officer guilty of killing his boss

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