Police’s contradicting report deepens shooting mystery

By LYDIAH NYAWIRA

Nyeri, Kenya: Police remain tight-lipped over the status of a case in which three people survived a hail of bullets in what later turned out to be a setup.

Nyeri County Police Commander Agnes Lihabi said the incident in which a university student was shot in the hip was being dealt with by ‘the relevant authorities.’ She declined to comment on the fate of the parties behind the setup.

In the story published by The Standard on Saturday last week, Christine Rita, an engineering student at Dedan Kimathi University of Technology, narrated how alongside her sister and the boyfriend they narrowly survived death when police sprayed the car they were travelling in with bullets.

They were on Nyeri-Nanyuki road on November 29th last year when an unmarked car overtook them before the occupants drew pistols and started shooting at them.

Suspecting the attackers were carjackers, the sister’s boyfriend identified only as Scotfield, accelerated away but lost control of the car.

The men later identified themselves as police officers and said the car had been reported stolen and that the occupants were armed gangsters.

It is only after the three were locked up at Kiganjo Police Station that it emerged the lady who had reported the car stolen knew Scotfield and had indeed given false information to the police.

They were set free, but no action was taken against the lady despite the fact that she presented herself at the station.

The County Commander described the circumstances surrounding the incident as complicated.

Ms Lihabi explained that police received information from Nairobi that the owner of the vehicle had been kidnapped and was last tracked to Chaka in Kieni Constituency, Nyeri County.

“Once the report was made, we set up a road block on that road and when the occupants of the vehicle were asked to stop, they did not,” she said.

Interrogate

She said the officers were left with no option but to pursue the vehicle.

While the commander’s statement contradicts that of the victims, the incident has raised questions regarding procedures police use to authenticate reports on stolen vehicles or kidnapped motorists, and the point at which they decide whether or not to use firearms.

Lihabi explained that when police receive such reports, the first line of action is to set up a road block to stop the vehicle.

Once the driver stops, the police identify themselves and begin to interrogate him. “Cooperation with the police is key to saving lives in such a scenario,” she said.

Lihabi nonetheless said when individuals fail to cooperate with police and refuse to stop at road blocks, police are forced to pursue the vehicle and “take necessary measures”.

Earlier Nyeri District Criminal Investigations Officer James Oludhe, who is aware of the matter, referred The Standard on Saturday to the County Police Commander, saying the file had been forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Central region police boss Larry Kieng said investigation into the matter was ongoing.