NANYUKI, Kenya – A former Administration Police (AP) officer has been sentenced to 40 years in prison after being convicted of murdering a fellow officer during a dispute over deployment in Maralal, Samburu County.
The High Court in Nanyuki found Patrick Marwa guilty of fatally shooting his colleague, Dancun Cheruiyot, on May 4, 2019, while the two officers were preparing to report for night duty.
Justice A.K. Ndungu ruled that the prosecution had proved the charge of murder beyond reasonable doubt, citing witness testimony, forensic evidence, findings from the crime scene and the post-mortem report, which collectively established that Marwa acted with malice aforethought.
According to evidence presented in court, Marwa, who was attached to Administration Police Line Two in Maralal, had reported to the armoury at around 5:30 p.m. and was issued with a G3 rifle loaded with 20 rounds of ammunition before proceeding for duty.
The court heard that Marwa and Cheruiyot were waiting at the camp’s main gate for transport to their assigned station when Cheruiyot, who was responsible for discipline at the camp, instructed Marwa to surrender his firearm after informing him that he would not be deployed to the China construction site.
The directive sparked a heated argument between the two officers.
During the confrontation, Marwa cocked his rifle and fired 10 rounds at Cheruiyot, killing him instantly.
Prosecutors told the court that after the shooting, Marwa handed the firearm to another officer, who returned it to the armoury before Marwa was arrested and escorted to Maralal Police Station.
Investigators who visited the scene recovered the G3 rifle and ten spent 7.62mm cartridges.
A post-mortem examination conducted at Samburu County Referral Hospital confirmed that Cheruiyot died after sustaining ten gunshot wounds.
In delivering the sentence, Justice Ndungu said the prosecution had presented overwhelming evidence linking Marwa to the fatal shooting, leading to his conviction for murder and a 40-year prison term.