NAIROBI, April 9 – The trial of a police officer charged with the murder of two protesters during the post election violence in Kisumu began in Nairobi Wednesday.
Constable Edward Kirui was charged with the murders after he was caught on camera shooting and killing two protestors.
The first prosecution witness David Wafula identified Kirui as the one who shot and killed Ishmael Chacha and George William Onyango alias ‘Soldier’, during the post-election violence in Kisumu on January 16.
Wafula claimed he knew Kirui as a resident officer based at Mamboleo police station in Kisumu’s Kondele estate.
He also told presiding judge Justice Onesmus Mutungi that the Kondele police chief was standing just a few metres away when the shooting occurred.
State Counsel Vincent Wohoro said there were three more witnesses in the case who would be called to testify, and who are police officers.
The footage of the shooting was aired on a local television station, prompting a police probe that led to Kirui’s arrest.
In his submissions, Wafula also claimed to have been in the company of the two deceased persons during the shooting.
He intimated to the court that he had just travelled to Kisumu from his ancestral home of Chesamisi in Bungoma district, before he was caught in the demonstrations that had been sparked by the contentious December 30 presidential election results announcement.
The hearing was adjourned until April 10.
Councillor charged with graft
Meanwhile, a nominated councillor was Wednesday arraigned in court to face two counts of corruption charges.
Ibrahim Dakaine Rafat, alias Adow Farah, appeared before the Senior Principal Magistrate Rose Ougo charged with soliciting Sh500,000 from Halima Hassan Subow to influence her nomination to the Nairobi City Council.
It was alleged that Dakaine committed the offence separately on February 22 and March 6 at the Intercontinental and Serena Hotels respectively, where he solicited for the bribe.
He denied the charges and was released on a cash bail of Sh100,000 pending hearing of the case on June 19.
In the meantime, the prosecution indicated to the court that it would consolidate the case with that of the Local Government Minister’s Personal Assistant Justus Kariuki, who was charged with graft.
Kariuki was arraigned in a court last month and charged with fraud and abuse of office.
During his arrest by officers from the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission (KACC), to account for the huge bundles of notes found on him the aide could only mumble: “I have only Sh140,000. This is my money.”
However, he did not disclose the source until KACC officers showed him photocopies of the same notes he was carrying.
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