A police officer attached to State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohamed allegedly shot and killed a man over the outcome of a pool game in Kawangware, Nairobi, on Sunday night.

Corporal Muhammed Yusuf Keinan shot dead Amos Kiprono Langat, 35, at an entertainment joint following an argument.

He then went to his police station and reported that he had been attacked by unknown men who wanted to rob him of his official firearm.

Keinan claimed that he alighted from a motorcycle at Kwa Mungai around 8 pm when he was confronted by three men, who allegedly attempted to snatch his firearm.

He told his colleagues at the Muthangari police station that he had suffered a fracture in his left hand and an injury in his shoulders.

Fifth shooting

Muthangari officers went to the scene and established that Langat had been shot several times in the stomach and chest.

This was the fifth shooting reported in the last month involving off-duty officers and bears striking similarities with the others.

In all cases, the shootings involved armed off-duty police officers in altercations at night in clubs or recreation joints.

Firearms may only be used when less extreme means are inadequate to save or protect life and in self-defence or in defence of another person against an imminent threat to life or of serious injury.

Pool bet

But in the Kawangware case, like the other four, there was no evidence to show that the officers were acting in self-defence.

Eyewitnesses told police the Kawangware confrontation happened at a bar around 8 pm. Langat had apparently won a pool bet, leading to a disagreement with the officer.

After being shot, Langat was taken to Maria Immaculate Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

“The pistol loaded with three rounds of ammunition was confiscated and kept as an exhibit,” police said.

Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) detectives questioned several witnesses and recorded their statements.

Langat’s family told the authorities that they suspected there were attempts to cover up what truly happened. Residents also complained that the officer had been harassing them.

Similar cases

Four other similar cases have been reported in the past month and are pending in court.

Almost all the officers involved are attached to individuals or institutions, including the State House, the Judiciary, Safaricom PLC, Parliament, South Sudanese President Salva Kiir and the Central Bank of Kenya.