The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has confirmed the arrest of six suspects linked to the fatal shooting of a police officer in Thika, Kiambu County.
Police Constable Bernard Koome, attached to the Special Police Intercept and Verification (SPIV) unit, was shot dead back in June at Cravers near the Thika and Garissa Road interchange in Thika West Sub County, after a routine inspection of motorcycles turned violent.
In a statement on July 21, DCI said that five of the six arrested suspects, who have been on the police radar since the fatal shooting, were arrested in Kahawa West.
“Thanks to crucial forensic leads, detectives launched an operation that led them to a hideout in Kahawa West. There, they arrested Joseph Ngotho Karanja, Benjamin Kambo Mwangi, Athanase Ndacaisaba, Kelvin Mbilika Ollingo, and Samuel Omurambi,” read part of the statement.
“In the process, detectives seized a vehicle believed to have been used by the suspects in committing the crime. The sixth suspect, Philip Muiruri Muchiri, was captured in the Kiamumbi area.”
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The six were taken before the Thika Law Courts, where detectives secured a 21-day custodial order, allowing for an extensive investigation. The case is set for mention on August 11, 2025.
According to eyewitnesses, the fatal June 18 shooting happened when the deceased officer was patrolling with his colleagues.
This was before they stopped a rider whose motorcycle lacked the unique registration code required for genuine boda boda operators in Thika town.
When one of the officers removed the bike’s ignition key, an argument flared up between the officers and the rider.
The rider overpowered the constable, drew a firearm, and shot him in the throat.
Fatal shooting of an officer in Thika
The other officers scampered for safety before they could return fire, giving the gunman time to escape.
He ran for several meters, commandeered another motorcycle that was ferrying a passenger near Royale Hotel, and sped off—dropping a loaded magazine that was later recovered by crime scene investigators.
The wounded SPIV officer was rushed to Thika Nursing Hospital but was pronounced dead while receiving emergency treatment.
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SPIV officers routinely inspect motorcycles to ensure they display the town’s official identification code, an initiative introduced after a surge in robberies by criminals masquerading as boda boda riders.
Following the shooting, Thika Deputy Criminal Investigations Officer (DCIO) Jacinta Mbaika confirmed that the deceased officer was part of an intelligence-led operation targeting an armed suspect believed to be linked to a spate of recent robberies in Thika town and its environs.
“We immediately secured the area and recovered a loaded Ceska pistol magazine dropped during the escape. The weapon is now undergoing ballistic analysis,” said Mbaika, who was accompanied by senior officers from Kiandutu and Thika Police Stations at the time.
Initial investigations pointed out that the main suspect was part of a broader criminal ring operating in Thika, Juja, and Ruiru towns, where at least six armed robberies had been reported in May and June, according to Kiambu County police data.
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