The father of one of the suspected robbers who were killed under unclear circumstances on March 12, 2023, following a robbery at Unaitas Sacco Mununga branch in Murang’a County, is calling for a thorough investigation into his son’s death. Francis Kang’ethe, 63, says his son Joseph Kamau should have been taken through the normal justice system after his arrest instead of being killed.
Kang’ethe says his son served as an administration police officer since 2017 but was given a summary dismissal after he deserted duty last year. Since then, Kamau did odd jobs to support his family, according to his father. The community where he grew up in Ruiru knew him as a respectable man and is still in shock following his death.
The two men’s death caused an uproar from Kenyans after the Directorate of Criminal Investigations made a post on their social media forums indicating that the two suspects had been arrested. The post was later deleted, and another one made that indicated that they had been killed in a shoot-out.
Central Region Commissioner Fredrick Shisia defended the police officers, saying the two were killed by gunmen as they took police officers to where they were hiding the guns. However, the circumstances surrounding the killings remain unclear, and Kang’ethe’s call for a thorough investigation is warranted.
