The courtroom fell silent on October 29 as former Kayole Officer Commanding Station (OCS) Dennis Omunga broke down in tears while recounting his years leading police operations in Nairobi and the 13 officers he lost to gunfire in the line of duty.
Omunga was testifying in the ongoing murder trial of six police officers accused oFormer Kayole OCS breaks down in court while defending officers accused of murderFormer Kayole OCS breaks down in court while defending officers accused of murderf killing Wycliffe Vincent Owuor, a suspected armed robber shot dead in Kayole in 2020.
The case, filed by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), alleges that Owuor was executed after surrendering a claim the accused officers firmly deny.
“When the officers arrived, they ordered the suspects to surrender, but the gunmen opened fire,” Omunga told the court. “In total, during the three months I served there, 13 officers were killed while on duty, including two traffic officers who were attacked while on the road.”
The former OCS insisted that the fatal shooting was part of a lawful anti-robbery operation, not an extrajudicial execution. He recounted that on the day of Owuor’s death, police received reports of armed robbers terrorizing residents in Kayole, prompting him to dispatch six officers to the scene.
“When they arrived, they ordered the suspects to surrender. Instead, the gunmen opened fire,” he said. “The officers returned fire, killing one suspect while two others escaped on a motorcycle.”
Omunga testified that the officers acted in self-defense and later discovered that the deceased was Owuor. He added that the police recovered a homemade gun, several rounds of ammunition, and a national ID from the suspect, which were handed over to DCI officers for further investigation.
He also told the court that IPOA investigators later visited his office, accompanied by a senior lawyer who had publicly posted on social media that the officer who shot Owuor should face murder charges. Omunga claimed this showed bias and external influence on the investigation.
The former OCS further alleged that Owuor had previously been linked to a sh 76 million armed robbery in Nairobi’s Westlands area. He questioned IPOA’s impartiality, accusing the oversight body of succumbing to public pressure rather than pursuing the truth.
“IPOA formed conclusions before completing its probe,” Omunga said, adding that its findings failed to consider the daily dangers faced by officers working in Nairobi’s high-crime areas.
His emotional testimony highlighted the harsh realities of policing in informal settlements, where shootouts with armed criminals are common. “We don’t go out looking to kill anyone,” he said. “We go out to protect the public and sometimes, we don’t come back.”
The trial continues as the court seeks to determine whether the killing of Wycliffe Owuor was a lawful police operation or an unlawful execution.
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