A police officer attached to Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports Principal Secretary Fikirini Jacobs has been released on a personal bond of KSh20,000 as investigations into the fatal shooting of a young man in Kariokor continue.
Police Constable Rashid Charo appeared before the Makadara Law Courts, where investigators informed the court that they required additional time to complete inquiries into the shooting of Cecil Otieno Anyango, who died after being shot during an incident involving the Principal Secretary’s official vehicle.
Resident Magistrate J. Mayiah, who presided over the proceedings virtually, allowed Charo’s release and directed that the matter be mentioned on August 10 for further directions.
During the hearing, Charo’s defence team successfully applied for his release from custody and sought the return of his personal belongings, including his service firearm, which the court granted.
Charo was arrested last week and formally arraigned on July 2, days after the June 30 shooting that sparked public outrage and heightened tension in Kariokor and surrounding areas.
According to police investigations, the incident occurred at around 1 p.m. after Principal Secretary Jacobs attended a public function at Social Hall in Kariokor.
Authorities said the PS was leaving the venue under the escort of his security officers, including Charo and PC Peter Keter, when a group of youths reportedly approached the convoy demanding money.
Investigators allege that Cecil Otieno Anyango entered the Principal Secretary’s official Toyota Land Cruiser, registration number GKC 526C, prompting the driver to speed away towards Pangani Police Station as members of the public chased the vehicle on foot and on motorcycles.
Police say the situation quickly escalated, with the pursuing crowd pelting the vehicle with stones. During the chaos, Charo allegedly discharged his service firearm, fatally injuring Anyango.
The victim was rushed by members of the public to Park Road Nursing Home, where he was pronounced dead while receiving treatment.
The incident was reported at Pangani Police Station, before detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in Starehe Sub-County took over the investigation.
Charo later presented himself at the DCI Nairobi North Sub-Region offices, where he recorded a statement before being arrested at Muthaiga Police Station.
In an earlier application, the prosecution had sought orders to detain Charo for seven days at Pangani Police Station, arguing that investigators needed more time to complete critical aspects of the investigation.
Among the pending procedures cited were a post-mortem examination to establish the exact cause of death, ballistic analysis of the recovered firearm, forensic examination of exhibits, recording of additional witness statements, and reconstruction of the crime scene to determine the sequence of events.
Prosecutors also argued that releasing the officer before the completion of investigations could pose a security risk due to heightened public emotions surrounding the shooting and potentially interfere with the investigation.
They further indicated that once investigations are complete, the case file will be forwarded to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) for legal review and directions on whether criminal charges should be preferred.
The fatal shooting has attracted widespread public attention and renewed calls for accountability in the use of firearms by law enforcement officers, particularly during interactions with civilians. Investigations into the circumstances surrounding Anyango’s death remain ongoing.
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