The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has secured two murder convictions against police officers in separate cases involving fatal shootings in Nakuru County.
In a statement on Thursday, July 30, the authority said the convictions were delivered by the High Court in Nakuru in separate judgments concerning incidents that occurred in 2016 and 2017.
IPOA confirmed that both officers have since been found guilty of murder and are awaiting sentencing.
The first conviction related to Police Constable Francis Kiarie, who was found guilty of two counts of murder over the fatal shooting of John Maina and Charles Kariuki.
"On 6th July 2026, the High Court convicted Police Constable Francis Kiarie on two counts of murder for the fatal shooting of John Maina and Charles Kariuki," the statement read.
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The killings occurred on December 3, 2016, at Mercy Njeri Shopping Centre in Nakuru, where the two victims were fatally shot.
The second case involved Administration Police Constable (APC) Isaac Lekachuma, who was convicted of murdering Emmanuel Makokha in a separate fatal shooting.
"In a separate judgement delivered on 9th July 2026, the High Court convicted APC Isaac Lekachuma, formerly attached to Salgaa AP Post, of the murder of Emmanuel Makokha, who was fatally shot on 2nd October 2017," the statement added.
The incident took place at Salgaa Trading Centre in Nakuru, where Makokha was shot and killed on October 2, 2017.
IPOA said the two convictions represented progress in its mandate to promote police accountability and ensure justice for victims of unlawful police actions.
"The two convictions mark another milestone in IPOA's efforts to promote police accountability and justice for victims of unlawful police actions. Both convicts are awaiting sentencing by the High Court in Nakuru," the statement concluded.
This comes days after a former Administration Police (AP) officer was sentenced to 40 years in prison after being found guilty of murdering his colleague in Maralal, Samburu County.
In a statement on Thursday, July 16, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) said Patrick Marwa was convicted over the fatal shooting of fellow officer Dancun Cheruiyot in an incident that occurred in 2019.
According to the ODPP, the High Court in Nanyuki ruled that the prosecution had proved the murder charge beyond reasonable doubt before handing down the custodial sentence.
The court heard that on May 4, 2019, at about 5.30 p.m., Marwa, who was attached to Administration Police Line Two in Maralal, reported to the armoury where he was issued with a G3 rifle and twenty rounds of ammunition before leaving for night duty.
While waiting at the main gate for transport alongside Cheruiyot, who was in charge of discipline at the camp, the deceased instructed Marwa to surrender his firearm after informing him that he would not proceed to his assigned duty station at the China construction site.
The ODPP said evidence presented during the trial showed that the directive led to an argument between the two officers.
During the confrontation, Marwa cocked his rifle and shot Cheruiyot ten times, killing him on the spot.
"The court further heard that Marwa later handed over the firearm to a fellow officer, who returned it to the armoury, before he was arrested and escorted to Maralal Police Station, where the incident was formally reported," the statement added.
According to the ODPP, police officers who responded to the scene recovered ten spent 7.62 mm calibre cartridges and the G3 rifle that had been issued to the accused.
Cheruiyot's body was taken to the Samburu County Referral Hospital mortuary, where a post-mortem examination confirmed that he had sustained ten gunshot wounds.
The court held that the evidence presented before the court, including witness testimonies, findings from the scene visit and the post-mortem report, demonstrated that Marwa acted with malice aforethought when he unlawfully caused the death of his colleague.
Following the conviction, the court sentenced Marwa to 40 years' imprisonment.
