Officers linked to murder of police imposter in Sh72million heist arrested
Four police officers linked to the murder of a police impersonator, Wycliffe Vincent Owuor, the suspected mastermind of the 2019 Sh72 million heist in Nairobi West, have been arrested.
The officers attached to Kayole police station, are the prime suspects in the fatal shooting of Mr Owuor in broad daylight in March 2020.
The four, identified as Joseph Ojode Obambo, Charles Karimi, Bashir Ali and Henry Mutai, are reported to have threatened witnesses at the scene of the incident.
They were arrested on Monday by their colleagues following recommendations by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (ODPP) that they had a case to answer in relation to the death.
“They spent their night at Capital Hill Police Station and they are scheduled to be arraigned for the first time today (Tuesday),” Kilimani sub-county police boss Mr Andrew Mbogo told Nairobi News.
The officers will now be charged with murder contrary to Section 203 as read with Section 204 of Penal Code.
Back in 2020, a day after Mr Owuor was killed, his lawyer, Cliff Ombeta, refuted claims by the police that his client had been shot dead while fleeing after he robbed civilians in Kayole.
At the time, Mr Ombeta also maintained that police officers wanted his client dead because he had a lot of information on the Sh72 million heist.
The lawyer even shared an amateur video which was captured by civilians clearly showing how the deceased was picked from a barber shop in Kayole and shot a few meters away. The video clearly captured Mr Owuor seemingly pleading with his captors to spare his life.
Thereafter, the Independent Policing and Oversight Authority (IPOA) kicked off investigations into the matter and even questioned police officers attached to Kayole police station.
Mr Owuor’s troubles began with the bank heist in Nairobi West. He was later arrested in Seka village in Kendu Bay, Homa Bay County, alongside other suspects.
Detectives who were investigating the incident were directed to his home by Mr Chris Ayienda who was the first person to be arrested in connection to the robbery.
According to the police, Mr Ayienda had Sh4 million in cash when he was arrested. On the other hand, the police said Mr Owuor was found with Sh3 million and a new Subaru Forester at the time of his arrest.
Interestingly, all along Mr Owuor kept telling the police officers who arrested him that he was their colleague. Members of the public who interacted with the slain suspect believed that he was a police officer because he was often in police uniform and even had access to police equipment.