AFRICA

SIX COPS TIED TO TWO KENYAN BROTHERS’ DEATHS ARRESTED, TO BE ARRAIGNED

SIX COPS TIED TO TWO KENYAN BROTHERS’ DEATHS ARRESTED, TO BE ARRAIGNED
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By Faith Nyasuguta 

Following a public outcry in Kenya, six police officers linked to the death of two brothers in the country have been arrested.

They are set to appear in court today, Tuesday where investigators will be seeking their detainment as they complete investigations.

The Director of Public Prosecutions in Kenya on Monday ordered the arrest of six police officers to evade any interference with evidence or intimidation of witnesses.

The deaths of Benson Njiru and Emmanuel Mutura while in police custody have sparked an uproar in the country as Kenyans demand justice for the two brothers.

The brothers aged 22 and 19 years old were last seen on Sunday, August 1, around 10 pm.

Their bodies were later found at a local morgue.

The shocking finding sparked riots around Embu’s Kianjokoma, their home area, where residents torched down a police vehicle.

According to police officers, the duo jumped out of a moving police vehicle, leading to their death.

Their family however believes that the brothers were brutally murdered by police officers.

The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has said the probe has established a prima facie case against the six police officers for the crime of murder.

The authority thus recommended that the officers be relieved of their duties immediately pending the outcome of an independent review of the findings.

The agency added that the six officers face the capital offense of murder.

“The officers and their commanders, who have since been interrogated and their statements recorded, be available round the clock for further assistance to IPOA investigators when called upon,” the Authority added.

The head of police in the area is set to be suspended as well over the incident, in a bid to avoid interfering with the case.

IPOA is also pursuing other charges, including negligence in the performance of duty, which could have been the case with any other police officer that attended to the two brothers’ deaths.

An autopsy indicated that the siblings succumbed to blunt-object injuries. It further revealed that Mutura’s head was deformed and that he bore bruises on the face.

On the other hand, Njiru’s ribs had been broken and his brain had an injury.

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has thus ordered security officials to establish how the two met their deaths at the hands of the police.

Kenyan brothers who died in police custody /Courtesy/
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Faith Nyasuguta

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