Police officers sentenced to death for killing colleague, his relatives

Two police officers found guilty of shooting and killing their colleague and his two relatives have been sentenced to death.

Lady Justice Stella Mutuku on Wednesday handed Benjamin Kahindi and Stanley Okoti the maximum death penalty for being trigger-happy and carelessly pulling the gun on the three harmless victims, who had surrendered and posed no threat to the officers.

The two officers were charged with the murder of Joseph Obong'o, his cousins Geoffrey Nyabuto and Amos Makori on October 7, 2014 at M-Club in Kangemi within Nairobi County.

Obong'o was an AP officer attached to Bomachoge Borabu MP Joel Onyancha.

Justice Mutuku ruled that although Kahindi and Okoti were first time offenders with no disciplinary record in their 30 and 20 years’ service in the police service respectively, their irresponsibility in shooting innocent people could not go unpunished.

“Although police officers are exposed to danger by virtue of their job, they cannot be allowed to act irresponsibly. They faced no danger as two of the victims had surrendered by lying on the ground. I find that justice can only be served by sentencing them both to death,” said Ms Mutuku.

Mutuku had ruled that prosecution proved beyond reasonable doubt that the two policemen acted outside the law in performing their duties, leading to the killing of Obong'o, Nyabuto and Makori. The judge said life was sacred and that it was unlawful for the officers to misuse their firearms to kill innocent people who were just out enjoying themselves after a day’s work.