NAIROBI, Kenya, May 6 – Two technicians working for a local mobile telecommunications company were killed by police in Kiambu on Thursday in a case of mistaken identity.
The officers opened fire on the two as they were working at a communications mast at Runoru division. An Administration police officer who had escorted them was also seriously wounded in the 3am incident.
The officer was admitted to hospital. The trigger-happy law enforcers based at the Kikuyu police station said they were “only responding to a distress call from residents.”
A senior police officer from the Lari divisional police headquarters told Capital News that an investigation had been launched into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
“The information we have is that the officers were called by residents who claimed there were people on a mast in the area and that is when they rushed and confronted them, two people were killed and an officer from the AP wounded,” a source who cannot be named because he is not authorised to issue official statements said.
Lari divisional police Chief Benjamin Maritim could not be reached for comment and no official statement was released by the mobile communications company which had contracted the slain men.
Reports indicated that the four police officers involved in the shooting were being questioned over the killings and were likely to appear in court once the investigation is completed.
“The officers have recorded statements with the CID, investigators are trying to establish what exactly happened because the incident is painting a very bad image to the force,” another senior officer said.
He said the officers had been disarmed and were likely to be interdicted once a preliminary investigation report is out by Thursday evening or early Friday.
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