Caroline Kangogo found dead in a bathroom at her parents’ home

Caroline Kangogo. [Courtesy]

Fugitive police officer Caroline Kangogo has been found dead.

Kangogo was found dead at her parent's home in Anin village, Elgeyo Marakwet County at 8am on Friday.

Her lifeless body was discovered lying in a bathroom at her parents' home and moved to Iten County Referral Hospital mortuary.

According to Rift Valley Regional Commissioner George Natembeya, Kangogo died of self-inflicted gunshot wounds to the head. However, a postmoterm report is yet to be done.

Kangogo was a main suspect for the murder of two men - John Ogweno, a police oficer and Peter Ndwiga, a businessman in Juja.

Detectives say the Nakuru based cop shot dead her colleague, constable Ogweno, on Monday, July 5 and fled to Juja where she allegedly killed Ndwiga, 32, in a hotel room.

According to hotel attendants, Ndwiga checked into the Kimbo facility on July 5, 2021, at around 4:30pm in the company of an unidentified woman and booked room number 107.  

Kagongo was later spotted on CCTV exiting the room at around midnight before fleeing to an unknown destination. Ndwiga’s body was later found on the bed.

The Director of Criminal Investigations George Kinoti consequently cautioned members of the public that the cop was armed and dangerous.

Caroline Kangogo. [Courtesy]

“We are cautioning members of the public especially men to be on the lookout for the rogue officer who is luring men to her trap before executing them in cold blood. Let nobody trust her since she is armed and dangerous,” DCI Tweeted.

Her training and experience as a crime-buster in the police service seemed to have worked in her favour making it difficult for the police to pin her down.

Having worked in the crime office at Nakuru Central Police Station, Kangogo was assigned to the law courts in 2019.

Initial reports indicated that the fugitive cop had spent hours drinking with the two men before they were found dead two days apart, one in Nakuru and the other in Kiambu.

Details from her file portray her as an experienced, well-trained and widely travelled person.

“She has served in Mombasa, Nyeri and Nakuru and hails from Elgeyo Marakwet. These and the alleged multiple lovers in different counties makes her elusive and unpredictable,” said a detective.

“This is a person who has interacted with every aspect of hunting criminals. She knows how we are doing it and this gives her an opportunity to be a step ahead," the detective said.

If you missed her at her house while off duty, Corporal Caroline Kangogo would either be at one of her three favourite nightclubs.

She would certainly be at a joint along Pundit Nehru Road or two others in Section 58 along Oginga Odinga Street in Nakuru.

Kangogo was described as a party animal, but her exploits would sometimes turn nasty. She courted controversy wherever she went due to her penchant for picking quarrels and getting into fights.

“What happened could not have escalated to this level had her bosses taken action over her indiscipline,” said a police officer in reference to the murder of Constable John Ogweno.

Caroline Kangogo. [Courtesy]

Some of the police officers, who sought anonymity, described Kangogo as a good boss who always got along with her juniors.

“She was a cool and social person, she appeared to be a gentle person and was always ready to help anyone in need. We couldn’t pray for a greater boss,” said the officer.

By Friday last week, detectives from the Elite DCI Special Service Unit (SSU) were roped into the search for the policewoman after the initial plan between the DCI and a city lawyer to present her to police flopped.

The search for her whereabouts had been scaled down to allow the lawyer to surrender Kangogo with her family also having pleaded with her to turn herself in at the nearest police station.

Officers from the Criminal Intelligence and Research Bureau (CRIB) were brought on board.

A special team comprising officers from CRIB and SSU was sent from DCI headquarters to Kagongo’s rural home in Elgeyo Marakwet, and Kisii where she was believed to be hiding.

The investigators’ work was delayed by the fact that the officer had dumped her known cellphone.

The police have, however, reiterated that it is yet to be proven that Kangogo actually shot and killed the two men.

"It is still not clear if Kangogo actually carried out the shooting or not. She was only a suspect and a person of interest because of the evidence found linking her to the scene.

Her being at large sent fears and panic among civilians as witnessed in Trans Nzoia County where a licensed firearm holder allegedly shot a woman in the abdomen after "mistaking" her for Kangogo on July 8.