Body guard to High Court judge shot dead

By Cyrus Ombati

A bodyguard attached to High Court judge Lady Justice Lydia Awino Achode was Sunday evening shot dead and robbed of his gun in an attack at the judge's Garden estate home, Nairobi.

It is not clear if the judge was in her residence when the 6pm incident happened. The sergeant of police was at the gate's sentry when a man knocked the gate demanding to talk to him.

Police said it was after the officer had stepped out of the compound when the gunman pumped bullets into his body and grabbed a rifle that he had and drove off in a waiting car.

The officer was rushed to the Aga Khan hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Police who arrived at the scene said they believe the gang's aim was to rob the officer of the gun. Major hunt was launched last night but no arrest or recovery had been made.

Nairobi Area head of police operations Wilfred Mbithi said police were determined to get those behind the attack.

Illegal guns

"We cannot state the motive for now but officers are on the ground hunting the attackers," said Mbithi.

Police say they are puzzled with increased number of illegal guns in the hands of criminals in the country and are making efforts to contain them.

Prior to her appointment to the Bench on September 6, 2011, Justice Achode was the Registrar of the High Court of Kenya.

She was confirmed as the Registrar after having competently acted in that capacity for three months. Prior to this she had been the Chief Court Administrator having been appointed to that position in the year 2004.

She began her career on the bench as a District Magistrate II (Prof.) at the Kericho Law Courts in 1986 and was promoted two years later to the post of Resident Magistrate.

She was posted at Makadara Law Courts in Nairobi where she served in this capacity from 1988 to 1994.

In 1994 she was transferred to Mombasa Law Court as a Senior Resident Magistrate having been promoted. While there, her hard work and due diligence were again recognized when she was promoted to Principle Magistrate in the year 2000 and to Senior Principal Magistrate 2004.