Rage, Ksh350 Mpesa Reversal, and Murder: The Story of an Angry Police Officer
A security guard from Nakuru has told a court that a police officer accused of murder shot and killed a man suspected of reversing Sh350 MPesa money transaction after consuming alcohol.
Even though the man was unarmed, the officer was determined to kill him, according to the security guard’s testimony in court.
Mr. Wesley Kirui, a security guard at the Salgaa Trading center in Rongai, testified in front of Nakuru High Court Judge Heston Nyaga that the officer, identified as Police Constable Isaac Lekachuma, fatally shot the victim in the chest on the spot.
The officer, who has since been reprimanded, was stationed at the Rongai Administration Police Post.
Mr. Kirui related that the deceased, identified as Emanuel Makokha, who was being pursued by the officer, attempted to hide behind him to save his life.
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Mr. Kirui felt his life was in jeopardy when he saw that the officer was hell-bent on shooting at him, so he removed his jacket and fled, leaving Mr. Makokha with his jacket.
The events occurred on the evening of Tuesday, 2 October 2017.
According to court documents, the deceased consumed alcohol at a local pub, paid the Sh350 bill, and then reversed it, prompting the owner to call the police.
The court heard that a pub owner in Salgaa had filed a complaint alleging that Mr. Makokha, also known as Okwonkwo, had reversed the transaction of Sh350 for the payment of an alcoholic beverage he had consumed.
The officers instructed her to notify them as soon as she spotted him.
And on that date, October 3, she observed Mr. Makokha and notified the police.
According to Mr. Kirui’s horrifying account, he was on duty at Salgaa discussing the area’s security with two colleagues when they heard gunshots.
Later, they observed a man running towards them, prompting everyone to flee for their lives.
Mr. Kirui asserts that the man pursued him and grabbed him from behind. The officer pursuing him with a firearm ordered him to move away while threatening to shoot.
“This is what caused me to lose my jacket, which I left with the fatally shot victim.” Afterward, he pointed the gun in my direction and fired. “The shot narrowly missed me, so I decided to flee and hide in another location,” said Mr. Kirui.
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Joseph Wafula Musumba, the deceased’s brother, testified that he spoke to his brother that day to inform him that their mother had sent him some luggage via a public service vehicle sacco from Trans Nzoia to Salgaa in Nakuru County.
He became concerned when he was unable to reach him the next day. And when he went to inform his mother, he discovered that she had already learned of his brother’s passing.
The Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA) launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the killing in response to public outrage.
Investigations pointed to a murder case. Which led to the arrest of Mr. Lekachuma. Who was charged with the murder of Mr. Ezekiel Makokha on May 12, 2022, a charge he denied.
The officer claimed that he shot Mr. Makokha in self-defense.
According to the officer, Mr. Makokha attempted to steal a firearm from a colleague, causing him to fire.
On May 11, the court will hear the case.
Rage, Ksh350 Mpesa Reversal, and Murder: The Story of an Angry Police Officer
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