Cop sentenced to 20 years for murder

Kisii High Court Judge David Majanja has sentenced a police officer to 20 years for the murder of Dominic Oyunge Ontumi in April this year.

The accused, Joseph Mauti, was convicted of murdering Oyunge on April 11, 2019 at Nyakegoi Sub-Location in Sameta Sub County.

“I am now called to impose an appropriate sentence bearing in mind that the maximum sentence for murder is death penalty,” said Majanja.

The deceased was a guard at one of the bars in the area.

In his verdict, the Judge noted that the pre-sentencing and the mitigation by the accused counsel were positive. “He is a police officer of 16 years with a young family that is dependent on him. He served the police without blemish and is remorseful.”

The deceased’s father, Pius Ontumi informed the court that the family had lost a bread winner and that the court should impose an appropriate sentence.

“I have considered the mitigation alongside the fact that the accused committed murder. He was a police officer with a heavy responsibility of using his firearm,” read the ruling.

Majanja said: “The accused’s actions as outlined in the judgement were deliberate and the fact that a life was lost is a matter I cannot ignore. I reject the plea of a non-custodial sentence.”

The officer, who had just been deployed to Sameta Police Station from the General Service Unit (GSU) entered Maximum Pub at Itumbe market and shot the deceased in the thigh, killing him on the spot.

 The bar is less than 400m from the station. Oyunge had been hired as a guard at the said bar a few days after he had quit the boda boda business.