NAIROBI, Kenya – Police officer attached to the Critical Infrastructure Protection Unit in Eldoret Trans Nzoia Sub-County, Ali Ahmed Mohammed has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for murder of his colleague.
The case heard at Eldoret High Court presided over by Justice Reuben Nyakundi placed Ahmed at the center of the scene and found him guilty of murder of his workmate Anthony Pkiror Areutum on 27 February, 2024.
In a statement by the Director of Public Prosecutions(DPP) the accused, who had just completed his duty shift, is said to have entered VDM Liquor Store while armed with a Taurus pistol issued to him earlier that morning.
“While at the premises, the deceased raised concern about how the accused was handling and displaying the firearm and advised him to place it safely,” DPP noted.
Adding; “The accused became irritated by the remarks and, in response, pointed the pistol towards the deceased in protest. In the process, the firearm discharged, fatally wounding the deceased and injuring the accused.”
The prosecution called five witnesses during the hearing and tabled crucial evidence including the arms movement log, a ballistics analysis, and a post-mortem report which collectively confirmed how the fatal shooting occurred.
While issuing the sentence, Justice Nyakundi stated that the defence had failed to present any mitigating circumstances, such as self-defence, provocation, intoxication, lack of maturity, or an accidental discharge.
He further pointed out that the Taurus revolver assigned to the accused for the protection of the public in Trans Nzoia County was instead misused to unlawfully take the life of a fellow officer within the National Police Service.
