A Nairobi Court has given the Director of Public Prosecutions 24 hours ultimatum to decide either to charge a Police officer accused of murdering his colleague officer or release him from police custody.
The ruling comes after the DPP through the state prosecutor moved Chief Magistrate Lucas Onyina at Milimani Law Courts with an application to detain the police officer for 5 extra days.
The prosecution had told court that the purpose of their application was to ensure sufficient time before submitting the investigation file to the DPP for further directions.
This application was vehemently objected by the defence saying that the suspect had been in custody for a long time hence any attempt to prolong his detention would be prejudicial.
According to the defence, the period for investigations had been lapsed hence there was no need to continue detaining the suspect.
The defence requested court to vacate any attempt to prolong the detention.
The suspect in the murder, Ezekiel Kipkoech Tarus attached at VIP protection CEO Safaricom was being investigated for the murder of Raphael Kimuli Wambua a police officer attached at Central Bank of Kenya.
Preliminary investigations proved that on February 23, 2025 the deceased Raphael Kimuli in the company of his brother Erick Ngolania Wambua a police officer attached at GSU headquarters went to watch football matches and drink at Wasafi bar.
They allegedly stayed in the bar up to around 1:20am and proceeded home.
Few steps from the bar they were allegedly attacked by PC Ezekiel Tarus who fatally shot the deceased person using his firearm Jericho pistol s/no 44338440.
After the shooting incident an angry mob attacked the suspect where police officers from Ruaraka police station rescued him and rushed him to Kenyatta National Hospital.
The case will be mentioned before court on March 12, 2025.
