Nyeri policemen went to drink in pub after killing colleague, court told

Two police officers in Nyeri killed a fellow officer and later went to a local bar to drink, a court has heard.

Virginia Njeri, 52, emotionally told High Court judge John Mativo that her son left their Kimahuri home in Kieni East for work in good health.

Later, she received a phone call that her son, Eliud Wanjohi, an officer attached to Naro Moru Police Station, had been seriously beaten by Administration Police (AP) officers from a nearby camp.

AP officers, Simon Nzomo and Samuel Tomno Chemobo were charged with murder following Wanjohi's death on August 13, 2011.

It is alleged that the officers assaulted Wanjohi over an unknown disagreement and when they realised he had died, called a matatu to take the body to the mortuary.

In his testimony, James Maina, the deceased's brother, said that he received information that the two officers later went to a bar.

"A friend known as Mwangi Bubura called me around 6pm as I was coming from work and said that my brother had been seriously beaten by AP officers and he was unconscious.

"After the call, I called the assistant chief to find out what was happening but he had no information," Mr Maina testified.

He added that: "It was later when I called my cousin to also confirm what had happened that I was told that Wanjohi was put in a matatu by the officers. My cousin also said that the officers were at a local bar".

However, only one of the officers is facing murder charges after Chemobo, who was the most senior officer at the camp, died in a road accident in January 2013.

Njeri told the court that her son went into depression following the death of his father.

She disputed claims that her son was unpredictable, saying that he was under medication and attended monthly psychiatric evaluations.

She also denied claims by the defence that her son was a habitual drunk.

The case will resume on September 13.