Officers drawn from the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) are on the spot for allegedly killing a 26-year-old Boda Boda Rider in Baringo County.
Three officers that are Hillary Bett, Robert Ngilimo, and McDonald Wafula from the Narasha Forest Station in Baringo County, who were initially arrested for assault, will face new charges of murder on Monday, February 10, 2025.
This comes after Augustine Kipng’etich died two days ago from injuries allegedly inflicted by the officers, including a gunshot wound.
The trio were charged on Thursday, February 7, 2025, at the Eldama Ravine Law Courts for attacking boda boda operators sent by a client to fetch fencing posts from the forest.
KFS Under Scrutiny for Allegedly Killing a Boda Boda Rider
The family of the Boda Boda rider stated that he had been asked to retrieve fencing posts from inside the forest.
When they heard a gunshot from a nearby home and realized their son had gone there, they quickly rushed to find out what had happened.
“He was called by a client to the forest to help others with work. A boda boda rider is always on demand he is called everywhere. So he went and was arrested. When I got there, I found they had beaten up my son and killed him,” Kipng’etich’s father, Paul Rotich narrated.
His mother, Jane Rotich, recounted that when she arrived at the scene, the officers chased her away.
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When she insisted on seeing her son, they refused and warned her to leave. Despite their attempts to stop her, even pointing guns at her, she forced her way through, only to find her son on the brink of death.
After realizing, that Kipng’etich was seriously injured and suffered a gunshot wound to his right leg the officers rushed the deceased to the Eldama Ravine sub-county hospital.
They later took him to the Nakuru referral hospital after it became evident nothing much could be done for him at the Eldama Ravine facility, and he passed on the next day.
KFS through Chief Conservator of Forests, Alex Lemarkoko on their part condemned the incident and said the officers’ actions towards the Boda Boda rider were uncalled for.
“That is a very unfortunate incident. We do not condone such kind of an incident. We don’t condone that kind of relationship between our rangers, our security personnel and the members of the public.”
Nakuru Fisherman Goes Missing
Marakwet East MP Timothy Toroitich also condemned the incident, stating that KFS officers should not take the law into their own hands by attacking, shooting, or killing innocent people.
He emphasized that the law, under Article 50, presumes everyone is innocent until proven guilty.
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This incident comes at a time when there has been conflict between officers managing wildlife and forests.
Recently, a fisherman in Nakuru, Brian Odhiambo was reportedly assaulted by Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) officers and abducted for fishing in Lake Nakuru National Park.
He has been missing since Saturday, January 18, 2025, Wildlife Service (KWS) officers and abducted for fishing in Lake Nakuru National Park. He has been missing since Saturday, January 18, 2025.
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