•Five other officers who were in the company of Mbaka during the incident sustained injuries following the attacks.
•The matter was reported to Drumvel police patrol base under Muungano police station within Athi River East Sub County police division.
Image: The Star
A police officer has been shot dead by unknown assailants during an illicit brew and narcotics den raid in Athi River, Machakos County.
Police Constable Cyrus Mbaka died on the spot after he suffered two head gunshot wounds after a bullet entered the left side of the forehead above the left eye exiting above the head.
Another entered through the left rear side of the head exiting on the right side.
The incident occurred in the Drumvel area within the Mlolongo division on Friday night.
Five other officers who were in the company of Mbaka during the incident sustained injuries following the attacks.
The matter was reported to Drumvel police patrol base under Muungano police station within Athi River East Sub County police division.
“It happened that police officers on normal patrol duties within Drumvel area led by the duty officer CPL Naomi Kajuju and OCPP Drumvel police patrol base CPL Stephen Munuve, an advance team of six officers was dispatched and raided a known illicit brew and narcotic den about 13 KMS East of the Station,” the police report seen by the Star read in part.
A police source privy to the incident said the officers were attacked by three pillion passengers who were ferried to the scene by a motorcyclist, information that was equally captured in the police report.
“The team managed to arrest seven prisoners including a female peddler and were handcuffed and a recovery of 500gramms of cannabis and 11 litres of chang’aa packed in 1-litre plastic polythene bags were made,” the source told the Star on Saturday.
“A motorcyclist carrying three unknown pillion passengers abruptly made a stop near the iron makeshift structure and one shouted ‘nyinyi mumetuzoea, leo mtatutambua’ and immediately gunshots were heard.”
The source requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter. He is, however, a commissioned officer.
The source said a brief shootout ensued and in the melee, the four assailants together with the female narcotics peddler managed to escape.
“Police Constable Samuel Ng’ang’a suffered a deep stone cut on the left side of the head above the ear and was rushed to Ruai Family Hospital where he was treated with four stitches and discharged in fair condition,” he said.
A total of twelve bullets according to the police report were expended by the police officers during the incident.
The Star established that senior police officers from Athi River South police division, OC-DCI Mlolongo, and OCS Muungano visited the scene which was processed by the Scene of Crime personnel from Machakos County headquarters.
Recovered from the scene were two 7.62mm and one 9mm cartridge.
The officers’ firearms Jericho pistol S/NO: 44330470 and Jericho pistol S/NO: 44332728 were both withdrawn for ballistic analysis while the cop’s body was removed to Kenyatta University Funeral Home awaiting the autopsy report.
The DCI Mlolongo have launched investigations into the incident.