A court in Eldoret has ordered a mental test on a police officer accused of shooting dead two people, including his girlfriend, in the Jua Kali area, Uasin Gishu county.
Deputy High Court registrar Caroline Wattimah directed the police to escort Eric Kirui to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital on Monday to undergo a mental assessment to determine whether he is fit to stand trial.
“I direct that the suspect be escorted to the hospital for mental assessment pending his appearance before the High Court to take a plea,” Wattimah said.
Kirui, who is accused of killing Caroline Malakwen and Ignatius Kipchumba, alias Mwala, on June 23 in a suspected love triangle, is expected to appear before a judge on July 22 to take a plea.
Kirui, who was based at Tembelio police station in Moiben subcounty, is alleged to have killed the two using his AK-47 assault rifle at Kokwet pub in Jua Kali trading centre along the Eldoret-Webuye highway.
The pub in Jua Kali was owned by the deceased woman.
Kirui was represented by lawyers Nathan Oburu and Calvine Ojalla when he appeared before Wattimah.
The suspect also sought to be taken for treatment, saying he was injured during his arrest.
“Your honour, I was injured by a fellow officer during my arrest, who caused harm to my body and I need urgent treatment,” Kirui said.
Last week, senior principal magistrate Onkoba Mogire had ordered Kirui be detained for 10 days to enable police to complete investigations.
His lawyers had also applied that he be released on bail but the magistrate rejected the application.
The prosecution, led by Erick Kiama, opposed bail for the suspect on the grounds that he was a flight risk and investigations are yet to be completed.
Kiama said the suspect was facing a serious charge of murder and although he has the right to bail, there must be compelling reasons for the same to be granted.
“The court must look at the gravity of the matter before deciding on bail,” Kiama said.
He argued the accused was a police officer and it was for his own safety that he should remain in custody until investigations are completed.
Kiama said statements were yet to be recorded from witnesses and the gun used to commit the murder was yet to be subjected to ballistics tests.
Police records show members of the public reported that police officer Kirui and had shot two people in Kokwet bar.
Jua Kali OCS visited the scene in the company of other officers from Sugoi patrol base, and they found it was Kirui.
“He was armed with an AK-47 rifle and was very drunk and violent,” the police report said.
It indicated that Kirui, who attempted to flee from the pub, was arrested and disarmed.
During the incident, Antony Stephen Mbifa was hit by a ricochet and sustained an injury in the right side of his head.
BY MATHEWS NDANYI
