Nakuru court charges policeman with killing suspect

A police officer has been charged with murdering a suspect.   

Appearing before Nakuru High Court on Tuesday, Mr Pius Mugambi who was attached to Mogotio Police Station, was charged with killing Mr Isaac Kipkorir Cheboi on January 29 at Athinai area in Rongai sub-county.

The officer however denied the charges. Mr Cheboi, an assault suspect, had been arrested by Mr Mugambi at Athinai.

The accused, through his Lawyer Steve Kabita, urged the court to release him on bond.

Mr Kabita told the court that his client, who was trying to save the life of a colleague, had acted in self-defence.

FREE SUSPECT

He said that the accused and his colleague were escorting a suspect to Mogotio Police Station when they were ambushed by a group of armed youths who wanted to free the suspect.

The youths, according to Mr Kabita, set the motorbike his client was travelling on ablaze and freed the suspect.

The court heard that Mugambi shot and killed Mr Cheboi to save his colleague who had been attacked by the deceased. 

"My client was just trying to save the life of his unarmed colleague," said Mr Kabita.

Justice Joel Ngugi freed the suspect on a personal bond of Sh300,000 with a surety of a similar amount.

Mr Kabita, who pleaded with the court to give his client a lesser charge of manslaughter, also asked the Director of Public Prosecutions to withdraw the case.  

The case will be mentioned on March 28.