Ipoa to probe fatal shooting of two boda boda riders

The current chairman of the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) Ahmed Issack Hassan. June 9, 2025. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (Ipoa) is investigating the fatal shooting of two boda boda riders in Thika on Sunday.

The men were allegedly shot by a police officer attached to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI). The incident happened on Thika-Garissa highway near Makongeni police station after a collision between a car and a motorcycle.

Ipoa said preliminary findings point to police constable Eric Gitonga, attached to DCI headquarters' economic and commercial crimes unit. According to Ipoa, Gitonga was driving his car when he collided with a motorcycle carrying rider Kennedy Ojuma (38) and passenger Stephen Mwendwa (39).

An argument ensued and both parties proceeded to Makongeni police station. "While at the scene, the officer, who was allegedly intoxicated, became rowdy and resisted efforts to disarm him. In the process, he fatally shot both the rider and his pillion passenger," IPOA said.

Their deaths sparked outrage, with angry residents torching and vandalising the officer's car despite efforts by riders to calm the crowd. The officer was later overpowered, disarmed, and detained at Thika police station before being transferred to Kiambu police station.

The victims' bodies are preserved at Thika General Kago mortuary, where IPOA plans to oversee a post-mortem. The watchdog has also obtained occurrence book extracts, duty rosters, and recorded statements from nine police officers. The officer's firearm will undergo ballistic analysis, while CCTV footage will be sought to piece together events.

On Monday, Gitonga was arraigned at Kiambu Law Courts, where IPOA applied to detain him for 21 days with its ruling on custodial orders scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.

The authority vowed to ensure justice for the victims, pledging impartial investigations while holding the police accountable and safeguarding public trust. It further urged officers to uphold professionalism at all times in line with the Constitution.

Meanwhile, Kamenu Stages Boda Boda Association Chairman Wilson Kibe condemned the killings, describing them as a painful betrayal by an officer meant to protect life. "It is heartbreaking to lose two young men in such a senseless manner," he said.