Police shoot and kill former Siaya County clerk in mistaken identity incident in Kisumu

Crime Scene./FILE

A former clerk with the Siaya County Assembly was Monday morning shot dead near his restaurant in what police termed as a case of mistaken identity in Kombewa, Kisumu County.

The former clerk, identified as Felix Isaac Olwero, 50, died in a shooting incident that happened at his resort after police had been called there to respond to a case of failed burglary in the area on Monday dawn.

Police had initially mistaken Olwero for being part of the burglars who tried to access White House Resort before shooting him, fatally.

They later declared the shooting a case of mistaken identity, and it is under probe.

According to police, a manager at the resort called for help, saying there was a group of burglars attempting to gain access into the facility.

Police established it was the fifth such attempt on the resort in recent days.

The police responded to the area and cordoned the rear side of the resort when they spotted five men approaching. They opened fire, killing a 50-year-old man.

The police had claimed the suspects were armed with pangas and other crude weapons and had threatened to harm the police.

They added they shot to the air to scare the suspects into surrendering in vain as the deceased charged at them, prompting the shooting.

They didn’t know Olwero was the owner and was also responding to the scene. The other suspect managed to escape into darkness, police said.

The scene was combed, but no further incident was noted. The resort management said they were facing unprecedented attempts from burglars and urged sustained patrols in the area to address the menace.

The body was moved to the mortuary pending autopsy. Later on, the officers learned the victim was the former clerk who owns the resort where they had responded to.

A probe has since been opened into the shooting