A Naivasha court has ordered four police officers to remain in custody for ten days as detectives piece together the mysterious killing of their colleague in what investigators suspect could be a staged suicide.
The four — Jim Murithi, Emmanuel Sang, Antony Wang’ombe, and Joshua Keter — all attached to Mai Mahiu Police Station, are accused of being involved in the shooting of Constable Hassan Lolkidid in the early hours of October 29, 2025, at Mikiti area in Mai Mahiu Township.
According to Corporal David Otieno, the investigating officer, the deceased was shot in the chest around 1:30 a.m. while responding to a suspicious offloading of tyres and hardware goods from a lorry. When the officers reportedly challenged the loaders, they fled — moments later, gunfire rang out, and Constable Lolkidid was found fatally wounded.
But what followed raised more questions than answers.
“The scene looked manipulated to show that the deceased committed suicide,” Corporal Otieno told the court, adding that the area appeared disturbed and tampered with before investigators arrived.
Otieno said all firearms belonging to the four suspects had been confiscated and sent for ballistic testing, while a bullet still lodged in the deceased’s chest awaits retrieval and analysis during post-mortem.
Preliminary investigations, he revealed, point to a possible cover-up:
“The suspects are believed to have placed a gun in the deceased’s hand and positioned it toward his chest to support a self-inflicted gunshot theory,” he stated.
The officer further alleged that the suspects could be linked to a robbery with violence incident tied to the same lorry, whose driver has since gone missing.
“Interference of witnesses is real. They are police officers, and most of those to record statements are their informers,” he cautioned, urging the court to detain the suspects for 21 days to prevent intimidation and obstruction of justice.
Otieno added that the officers were highly trained in firearms and that one weapon remained unaccounted for, posing a potential risk to the public and witnesses.
However, the defense, led by prominent lawyer Danstan Omari, opposed the application, insisting that the State had not produced evidence of any attempt to interfere with witnesses.
“The prosecution’s fears are based on mere apprehension,” Omari argued. “The accused persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Bail is their constitutional right.”
Citing Articles 49(1)(h) and 50(2) of the Constitution, Omari urged the court to release the officers on bond, insisting that denying them liberty without proof of wrongdoing was unjust.
After hearing both sides, the court ordered that the four be detained at Naivasha Police Station for 10 days, allowing investigators time to complete key aspects of the probe — including ballistic analysis, witness recording, and the tracing of the missing lorry driver.
The chilling case has sent shockwaves through the law enforcement fraternity in Naivasha, with residents demanding transparency and justice in what is fast becoming one of the most disturbing police-involved killings in recent memory.
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