The officer was responding to a distress call when they were ambushed and hacked to death/FILE
NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 29 – Two members of the Mombasa Republican Council have been sentenced to death by a Mombasa Court over the murder of four police officers during the 2013 General Election.
Judge Martin Muya found the two, Jabiri Ali Dzuya and Bwana Mkuu Alwan guilty of killing the officers, among them the Officer Commanding the Changamwe Police Division (OCPD) and the officer in charge of the station (OCS).
The officers were Hezborn Otieno (OCPD), Salim Kimutai (OCS), Stephen Maithya and Andrew Songwa.
“The attacks were targeted at police officers overseeing the last year general elections. Their agenda was to stop residents of Coast from voting, and the attack on the officers was brutal and senseless,” the judge observed.
The judge says the evidence against the accused was sufficient to hand them the death penalty.
“The offense of murder carries a mandatory sentence of death which I found the accused person deserving. I hereby sentence each to death,” he ruled.
Two others who were among the accused were acquitted for lack of sufficient evidence.
The officer was responding to a distress call when they were ambushed and hacked to death.
Their rifles, two AK 47 rifle were stolen by the gang within Miritini area.
The gang is alleged to have been armed with machetes when they slashed the four to death.
On Friday the MRC said it will to continue agitating for Coast region’s secession after the Appeal Court’s decision to lift its ban.
Deputy spokesman Richard Lewa said they are ready to register more members and negotiate with the government concerning their grievances ‘on behalf’ of coast residents.
Lewa says MRC is not a militia group that might be used by politicians urging those willing to register as voters to go ahead in the next general election.
The National Intelligence Service and police have since warned that MRC is planning to disrupt voter registration in the Coast and elections.
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