Police officers hailed in the streets but left to fight court battles alone

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] Sometime in August 2025, a photo of a police officer named Ahmed Rashid, taken in Kibera Law Courts went viral. Rashid was appearing in court over proceedings in a case of murder over alleged shooting in Eastleigh. Once praised a hero cop Rashid appeared lost in thought and crestfallen as if something was weighing him down. His shift from hero to the corridors of justice sounded like a bad dream that for him ended in gloom. Between 2015 and 2017, Eastleigh was a no-go zone owing to the influx of dangerous armed gangs who terrorized traders, leaving many with lifetime scars. The teen criminals, believed to be from the nearby Mathare slums, armed with knives and homemade guns used to target Mpesa shops and other businesses in the sprawling neighbourhood hosting Kenyan Somalis. Due to the growing insecurity, traders and Eastleigh residents held a meeting and requested that Rashid be crowned the leader of what was called the Pangani Six, whose role was to track and deal with the daring criminals. At the time, Rashid was a CID officer based at the city centre; the residents' prayers were answered when he was moved to Eastleigh with clear instructions to lead a team of undercover officers to face off with the goons. It did not take long for residents to witness the results. Rashid and his team of five were already dealing with criminals and foiling robbery activities as he led cops to where the majority of his colleagues could not dare. In a short time, Rashid's name filled households to an extent that locals could easily reach him on mobile phone to report instant robberies in the neighbourhood; his slogan of operation was; get them alive or dead. As the undercover cops under the command of Rashid continued winning admiration, some quarters accused them of extrajudicial killings at some point leading to protests in Eastleigh. The protestors were drawn from the nearby Mathare slums with some women accusing undercover cops of executing their children in cold blood. In an unexpected twist, sometime in March 2017, video footage went viral showing Rashid executing two suspected criminals in the streets suspected to be somewhere in Eastleigh. In the video, one of the suspects was captured still breathing after being gunned down before an officer said to be Rashid borrowed a gun from a colleague and pumped more bullets in him. According to some eyewitnesses, one of the suspects had shared a photo on social media while donning a jacket belonging to a police officer who was executed by criminals. This marked the beginning of a nightmare for Rashid, who faced charges of killing, which he pleaded not guilty to, paving way for a trial. Titus Ngamau commonly known as Katitu was set free after serving six years in jail. [File, Standard] On his part, Titus Ngamau, alias Katitu, was not lucky; he was accused of shooting dead a civilian, in a case that landed him in prison for eight years. Katitu, who today has completed his sentence, had been branded a super cop within the Githurai area, because of how he used to deal with criminals who were terrorizing residents, until he was accused of shooting dead Kenneth Kimani, a suspected criminal. His arrest after the 2013 incident turned Githurai into a no-go zone for one week as residents demonstrated demanding his release. The law overpowered them; Katitu was charged and sentenced. In recent interviews after serving his prison term, Katitu who was a musician before he joined the service has maintained that 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.," Katitu said in one of the interviews, adding that he was falsely jailed. In prison, Katitu said he spent most of his time alone, adding that his movements and interaction were restricted adding that prison is not a good place. "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 Security analyst George Musamali argues that to the members of the public such officers are heroes, but legally, they are villains. He says that the way they carry out their activities is illegal. "As much as they are celebrated by the members of the public and sometimes by the police command at the end of the day the law is supreme, it will always catch up with them," says Musamali Pointing out, "The moment you are arrested and taken to court and there is enough evidence, there is nothing much that the members of the public can do even demonstrating for your release will be a waste of time," He however says some of the cases where cops execute criminals fall under targeted killings but there is a rule, explaining that this is only applicable when police have identified criminals but are unable to arrest them. He gives an example of the officers who gunned down the likes of robbers Wanugu and Wacucu in the late 90s arguing that there was no repercussion because the gangsters had been declared wanted and dangerous. "But arresting a person and making them lie down then execute them in public, such a police officer becomes indefensible, even in the police service no one can defend such a person," Musamali explains. He adds "If the bosses can talk, they will be told to explain which law was used to carry out such execution of suspects. When such officers appear in court, they are alone, the public will not be there, the police will not be there and no one will be there to defend you." To avoid such cases, he says the best way for the cops is to operate within the law so that in case of complaints people can come and defend them. He adds that there are still many cops who pursue suspects in their own way, executing criminals without a second thought. "Sometimes back, there was a senior officer based in Kisumu who was celebrated on how he used to deal with criminals, he would identify them and even inform the public the reasons he was looking for specific person," "Once he arrested them, he would open a file and press charges and that is why when he was moved, people demonstrated in Kisumu," he added. Former Kabete OCS, the late Chief Inspector Stephen Lelei, not only rose to fame and through the ranks owing to his style of combating criminals but also earned recognition as Westgate Hero. On Saturday, 21 September 2013, four masked gunmen attacked the upmarket Westgate mall, throwing grenades and firing at shoppers indiscriminately. Lelei who died in June 2024, was among those who arrived at the mall and managed to rescue high-profile figures trapped at various floors before another team from the Kenya Defence Forces arrived. Unfortunately, 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 him from previous missions. While serving as OCS Mlolongo, Lelei faced another severe challenge. He and his former junior colleague, Fredrick Leliman, were charged with the murder of a couple, Jacob Mwenda Mbai and Elizabeth Nduku, in May 2016. The case turned his life upside down. The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (Ipoa) took up the case and recommended both be charged for murder. However, during the trial, a ballistic expert testified that none of their pistols were involved in the killing. In one of the interviews before he died, Lelei said, despite that he and other officers had served diligently, they had not been rewarded enough. Former Kabete OCS, the late Chief Inspector Stephen Lelei. [File] Another police officer, Daniel Seronei was praised as a hero for wiping out daring criminals not only in Buru-buru estate in the 90's but also the city at large, owing to his dedication to the service and to restore security. He was later named to lead a team to hunt down hardcore criminals, including Rasta, Wanugu and Wacucu, a job which he accomplished, earning him a promotion as Chief Inspector. In an interview with KTN sometime back, Seronei revealed that his promotion did not auger well with some of his colleagues who ganged up with criminals in an attempt to kill him. And true to their plot, they nearly succeeded after raining 56 bullets on his car while he was on patrol, luckily he came out alive after spending several months in hospital. Even after being praised for his dedication and service to the nation, Seronei led a lonely life after being relieved of duties in 2001 under unclear circumstances which denied him some benefits. During the interview, Seronei had been forced to live with a bullet lodged in the chest as the state and his former bosses turned deaf ears on his pleas. Former Police Spokesperson while lauding Seronie said police officers do a good job for the nation but sometimes a small mistake wipes out their worthy cause. How Patrick Shaw dealt with Criminals in Nairobi Cases of executing criminals in the country date back to 1970 and 1980's. In Nairobi for instance, there are those who witnessed how police reservist, the late Patrick Shaw, used to handle criminals. The heavily built officer, whose signature car was Volvo, never bothered to drag criminals to court, instead his first option was to execute them. Shaw was born in London but moved to Kenya in the 1950's then he became a citizen and later police reservist mostly patrolling the city at night to face off with criminals. Owing to his vast network among the residents and his methods of tracking criminals, Shaw was always among the first to arrive at crime scenes. With time, he became a target among criminals while others started accusing him of extrajudicial killings. One of the hardcore criminals executed by Shaw was Peter Mwea Wakinyonga, who dared to challenge him to a fight in Kangemi. It is said that Wakinyonga and his accomplices were celebrating a successful mission when Shaw and other officers who had been tipped arrived and ordered him to surrender but 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 long, was indeed dead.

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