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The Kiambu High Court has sentenced a former CID officer to 30 years in jail for killing  a reveller, William Mwangi, six years ago in Limuru.

Edward Munjalu, who has been playing hide and seek with the law enforcers, leading to the  delay of the  case, was sentenced by judge Mary Kasango and given him 14-day to appeal.

The judge said it was unfortunate the former detective committed the crime when he was serving as a police officer, who is expected to protect the victim.

“The accused committed the offence when serving as a police officer who was expected to protect the victim which is regrettable,” she said.

On July 28, last year, the court found Munjalu had a case to answer. According to the court, there was evidence linking him to the circumstances in which the deceased was killed on August 27, 2017.

 Fourteen prosecution witnesses testified against the accused, while one witness, a police officer, defended him.

International Justice Mission – Kenya represented the victim’s family in the case that began in December 2017.

Kimani, 32, was shot dead inside his car as he drove away from Club U-Turn in Limuru town before daybreak, where he had been drinking and watching football matches with friends, according to evidence presented in court.

Refused to buy

 A scuffle had allegedly ensued after Kimani refused to buy the police officer alcohol, prompting the club’s security officials (bouncers) to intervene and eject Munjalu from the club. Evidence presented in court states that the officer approached Kimani’s vehicle as he reversed to drive out of the parking lot and shot him seven times through the front passenger window, killing him instantly.

Munjalu immediately fled the scene and locked himself in his house, refusing to surrender, the court heard. Police officers were forced to use tear gas to remove him, the court further heard.

 He was later charged with murder by the ODPP after a recommendation by the DCI.

 The court gave Munjalu a cash bail of Sh100,000, but after one year of hearings, he absconded and went into hiding.

Injured officer

 He was re-arrested in Kakamega  two years later, and in the process of the re-arrest, he injured an officer. He also attempted to flee while being taken to Nairobi but was unsuccessful after hurting himself.

 The court placed the officer on his defence in November 2022, during which he denied involvement in the murder.

IJM-Kenya lawyer Edward Mbanya, who represented Kimani’s family, had asked the court to find that from the evidence tendered by all the fourteen prosecution witnesses left no iota of doubt that the act that led to the murder of Kimani was the unlawful act of shooting by the officer.

 Mbanya told the court that ballistics report indicated that the recovered bullets and cartridges from the scene came from the officer’s gun.

Use of firearms

The lawyer told the court that Munjalu’s action did not fall anywhere within the justifiable uses of firearms in the National Police Service Act or the Service Standing Orders.

The late businessman’s wife Agnes Mwangi who was present  during  the  judgment  hailed  the  court for  jailing  the  accused saying  that  justice  had  finally been granted to the  family. She said that she will immediately move to court to seek compensation for the death of her husband whom she said was the family’s sole breadwinner.

“I am happy that he has been jailed for 30 years but  it was better  if he  was sentenced to  life imprisonment.  I will now embark on seeking  compensation  from  the  government  because  my late  husband  was our only  breadwinner,” she  said.