Kitengela shooting: Family vows not to bury son until DCI officer is arrested

Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Headquarters along Kiambu Road. [File, Standard] The family of two men who were allegedly shot by a senior DCI officer in Kitengela, Kajiado County, during a bar altercation have vowed not to bury one of their kin until the officer is arrested. The families are calling for an independent probe, alleging a possible cover-up by police officers. One victim has already succumbed to gunshot injuries, while the other remains in critical condition at Kajiado Referral Hospital. Through their lawyer, Dr Daniel Kanchori, they say that despite the attack one week ago, those involved, including a senior DCI officer, are roaming freely, with detectives having questioned and disarmed only one of the three officers present. Through their lawyer, Dr Daniel Kanchori, the family says they will only bury their son if justice is done by arresting those who killed him. Speaking at the Kitengela Sub-county mortuary, Kanchori, who was accompanied by family members from both sides, said the officers are still roaming freely without any indication that they will be arrested. "We are calling for calm as we continue to dig deep and bring this matter to a speedy and legal conclusion for justice to be served. We will not conduct the burial. We do not expect any monkey business aimed at covering up the perpetrators of this heinous act," said Dr Kanchori. He said the family expects a timely and thorough investigation to be conducted to bring the culprits to book, irrespective of their social standing. Dr Kanchori was referring to an incident in which two young men were shot by senior DCI officers from the DCI headquarters in Nairobi at a joint in Kitengela town. The officer, who is said to be a Deputy Director of Operations at the DCI headquarters in Nairobi, was together with two other officers when the shooting occurred. It was not immediately established what motivated the shooting or what caused the confrontation. After the shootout, one of the victims was found about 500 metres from the lounge along Acacia Road in a critical condition and was rushed to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). He died on Thursday. Kevin Maseri succumbed to bullet wounds while undergoing treatment. His body was later moved to Kitengela Sub-county Hospital for a post-mortem. The incident left Kitengela residents in shock. The second victim is still recuperating at the same hospital. Police said six cartridges of 9mm ammunition and one bullet head were recovered at the lodge, while three others were recovered about 50 metres away. However, only one DCI officer has so far surrendered his firearm, with the other two still armed. The officer handed over the gun to senior police officers who have been camping at the Kitengela Police Station since the shooting took place. The officers at the station included those from the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), who are keen to establish what transpired during the shooting. "We have the firearm with us, and we have also commenced investigations to establish what transpired that night," said Alex Shikodi, the Kajiado County Police Commander. Human rights activist Longton Jamil said that from the post-mortem, it is clear that the late Kevin Maseri was shot at close range, as per the pathologist's report. "The deceased was shot with two bullets by senior officers from the DCI, not from Kitengela. The motive of the shooting and the reason behind the alleged cover-up are not yet known. We will push this matter until justice prevails," said Jamil. Speaking separately to Standard on Sunday, Jamil said it was a gross violation of the human right to life. "We urgently demand the arrest and prosecution of the officers involved in the shooting. No one is above the law, including senior DCI officers who shot the two at an entertainment joint. The family wants justice," added Jamil. The incident has caused panic, with a section of businesspeople in Kitengela town appealing to the relevant authorities to speed up investigations. The businesspeople said that since the incident occurred, their businesses have suffered a major blow. Speaking during a press conference at the scene, the traders said that since Saturday last week, patrons have been avoiding the premises. "We are appealing to the relevant authorities to speed up investigations into this matter. We are not at peace, and our business has gone down," said Pauline Aoko. She said the shooting incident has left area residents in shock, noting that it was the second incident within a short period. "This is the second incident within a span of two days. Earlier, we were invaded by armed thugs who stole property worth millions from our workplace," said Pauline.

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