Cops who disarmed, frogmarched senior detective interdicted

The two police officers who disarmed and frog marched a senior DCI detective in Kasarani, Nairobi, have been interdicted.

A senior police privy to the developments confided to the Star that police constables Marwa Matiko and Charles Maina were interdicted for allegedly attacking Kayole sub-county Criminal Investigations Officer, Jackson Owino, on March 26.

The officer said the matter was being handled by the Internal Affairs Unit of the National Police Service.

“The officers’ dismissal claims are untrue. Their fate is yet to be determined. They have been interdicted,” the senior cop told the Star on Tuesday, April 5.

The two officers were arrested for threatening to shoot Owino before disarming and frogmarching him to Kasarani police station in Nairobi.

The duo was locked up in the same cell where they had earlier held the DCI officer in the wee hours of Saturday, March 26.

Owino was released from custody after intervention by some of the officers at the station.

The whole drama started with an altercation between Owino and a woman at Seasons Lounge within Kasarani sub-county.

CCTV footage of the incident has since emerged and circulating on social media.

The incident happened at around 12:30 am and was reported at Kasarani police station as a shooting incident under OB No. 12/26/03/2022 at 5:42 am on March 26.

"It was reported by Jackson Owino SP, the SCCIO Kayole police division that he had taken his official car to the said bar for washing when he noticed one Elizabeth Wangari smoking in the bar," an officer who handled the case told the Star.

He added that Owino cautioned the woman to stop smoking inside the bar since it was inappropriate and that is when a confrontation ensued between the two.

"The said Wangare walked out of the bar hurling insults and threats to the senior police officer, saying he ought to know people. After a while, Wangari returned to the bar accompanied by two police officers from Kasarani police station," the officer said.

He said that constable Matiko was in police uniform but his colleague, constable Maina, was in civilian clothes.

At this point, Matiko wielded a pistol at Owino as he and Maina challenged him to explain why he was threatening the woman.

According to the report filed by Owino, Matiko cocked his rifle, a Scorpion S/No. CZ 246750, placed it on his chest and threatened to shoot him.

The report said Matiko then disarmed Owino of his Ceska pistol loaded with 15 rounds of ammunition.

He then walked out of the bar and shot four times in the air with his pistol followed by two rounds from the Ceska pistol belonging to the senior police officer.

"Matiko and Maina then handcuffed the senior officer and arrested one Zacharia Mwambi and frogmarched them to the police station with kicks and blows," the police report read in part.

"At the station, the senior police officer and the said Mwambi were put in custody," it added.

The two were released from custody on the intervention of officer David Okeno.

Owino recorded a statement on the incident at the station after their release.

Matiko was booked into custody in the same cell he had booked Owino. He was held there for assaulting the senior cop and as a corrective measure.

The two firearms, Scorpion S/No. CZ 246750 loaded with 16 rounds of 9 millimetre ammunition and Ceska pistol S/No. C 246964 loaded with 13 rounds of ammunition were taken from PC Matiko.

The initial visit to the scene of the crime was conducted by orderly officer  David Ekeno, deputy officer Inspector Mutia Mutinda and the senior DCI officer.

Four spent 9-millimetre cartridges were recovered from the scene.

The scene was preserved pending further analysis by DCI detectives attached to Kasarani sub-county police division.

The DCI, Kasarani, launched investigations into the incident before the National Police Service, Internal Affairs Unit took over the probe.