'He called me stupid': Police constable found guilty of killing his boss

Police constable Jackson Kipkoech Konga has been found guilty for the murder of Sergeant Christopher Kimeli.

The killing occurred on 8th August 2023 at K9 Unit, Dog Section, Nakuru East Sub County.

Kipkoech however denied killing his superior officer.

In his court testimony, Jackson confirmed that indeed an altercation had occurred between him and the officer on the morning of August 8 at the report office.

He narrated how he had been assigned night sentry duties the previous night. At around 4 am while he was manning Gate B at the K9 unit, some officers arrived with two theft suspects.

Kimeli then arrived at the gate for his routine inspection and found the two suspects. He directed they be taken to the report office.

Jackson says that while at the report office, Kimeli inquired why the two suspects had not been taken to the Nakuru Central Police Station.

“Before I could explain, the Sergeant started calling me stupid and said that I did not know my work. I did not react, but the Sergeant continued taunting me and insulting me in the presence of other officers. He then grabbed my firearm,” he told the court.

In the ensuing struggle, the gun’s nozzle pointed at Kimeli’s chest and the trigger went off. Jackson testified that Kimeli himself pressed the rifle's trigger during the confrontation.

According to Kipkoech, the incident occurred about 50 meters from the Station’s gate.

“I did not threaten to kill him and I never intended to kill him,” he says.

In his judgement, Judge Julius Nangea says that according to the testimony of police officers who witnessed the altercation between the accused and the deceased before the shooting, the accused was incensed by what he considered the deceased’s insults directed at him, cocked his gun and exited the report office where the arguments occurred.

“There is uncontroverted evidence that the deceased followed him up to the place, meters away, where he died of the gunshot. The accused appears to have been provoked by the deceased berating him over his handling of the arrested suspects. His colleagues told the court that he surrendered his rifle shortly after the incident and offered to be arrested, remarking that he had “finished’’ the deceased and was now a “civilian’’. The evidence of these witnesses has not been discredited,” read part of his judgement.

It continues to read, “I am satisfied on the evidence and in the circumstances of this case that the accused intentionally killed the deceased. The kind of weapon used leaves no doubt that the accused knew that death could result. The prosecution has proved the charge beyond reasonable doubt.”

Kipkoech will be sentenced at a later date.