In a rare spectacle, residents of Githurai 45 on Tuesday caused a major traffic congestion when they barricaded the busy Thika Superhighway to protest the arrest of a police officer.
The protesters who notably identified the officer as Katuku demanded that he be released and said that the two men he allegedly killed were well known hardcore criminals.
The protest comes after a previous one last Friday in which the residents had the same demands that were not heeded.
Katuku's arrest was ordered by the Kasarani Director of Public Prosecutions after a family accused him of killing two brothers, Kenneth Mwangi in April and Oscar Mwangi in August. The police officer, who is attached to Kasarani police division, is said to have shot dead Mwangi, a suspected thief, at the Githurai roundabout.
The suspect's relatives protested the shooting and claimed that it was a case of mistaken identity. The protesters however confirmed that Mwangi was a notorious criminal adding that most of his accomplices had also been killed while others have fled Githurai.
Kasarani OCPD, Augustine Nthumbi during a similar protest last Friday said that police recovered a sword and stolen mobile phones from the suspect. Nthumbi also remarked that cases of mugging at the Githurai 45 roundabout have significantly decreased adding that Katuku worked as an undercover officer and performed well.
In addition to being released from prison, the residents also want the police constable promoted. "The officer is passionate about his work. He is our protector in Githurai," one boda boda operator said.
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