Former Nairobi Provincial Police Officer Anthony Kibuchi is dead.
Kibuchi died at the Kenyatta
University Referral Hospital in Nairobi on May 13 after battling cancer.
He had been admitted there, and
his family sought help for blood donation to stabilise him.
A family spokesman said he
succumbed to prostate cancer, which he had been diagnosed with in 2018.
A relative said he had 2022
been declared a cancer survivor but the condition relapsed.
He retired in 2013 and
retreated to his Kianugu home in Kirinyaga.
Kibuchi, 67, was passionate
about police reforms and hoped the much-talked-about County Policing
Authorities would be mobilised and work out.
He was known for his tough
stance on crime and community engagement.
Kibuchi served in various
senior positions within the Kenya Police, including as Provincial Police
Officer in Nyanza and North Eastern regions, before his tenure as Nairobi's PPO
from 2009 to 2013.
He was posted to Nairobi at a
time when authorities were battling the Mungiki gang.
His
legacy includes pioneering police-citizen collaboration and a high-profile
legal dispute with Chief Justice Willy Mutunga.
He will be laid to rest in
Kirinyaga County on May 21, 2025, the family said.
To journalists, he was a
reliable source of news as he would supply information anytime there was a
juicy story or breaking news.
“He could call or text to
give you a story. He was a reliable police commander and knew the importance of
media,” said a journalist who worked with Kibuchi.
He also took his time to
explain the issue for the public to understand well. His family and friends said he will be missed by
many.
His colleagues said he
mentored some of them and was always ready to listen.
“If he shouted at you at any point, he would
come back and apologise. He was a good man,” said a colleague.
He leaves behind a widow and
four children.
