POLICE ARREST SIX SUSPECTS IN FATAL SHOOTING OF THIKA OFFICER

Six suspects have been arrested in connection with the brutal killing of a police officer who was shot at the interception along the Thika–Garissa Road on June 18, 2025.

Five of the suspects, Joseph Ngotho Karanja, Benjamin Kambo Mwangi, Athanase Ndacaisaba, Kelvin Mbilika Ollingo, and Samuel Omurambi, were apprehended from their hideout in Kahawa West. A sixth suspect, Philip Muiruri Muchiri, was arrested in Kiamumbi area.

During the raid, officers impounded a vehicle, registration number KDQ 529W, which is believed to have been used in the commission of the crime.

The suspects were arraigned at the Thika Law Courts, where investigators obtained a 21-day custodial order to allow for further probe.

The matter is scheduled for mention on August 11, 2025.

The slain officer, Constable Bernard Koome, was attached to the Special Police Intervention Unit (SPIV) in Thika. He was gunned down in the Cravers area at around 4pm on the day of the incident.

According to police reports, Koome and his colleagues had intercepted a suspicious motorcycle. The rider allegedly abandoned the bike and fled on foot while firing at the officers. In the ensuing chaos, Koome was shot in the neck and rushed to hospital. Unfortunately, he succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment.

The gunman continued to fire into the air as he fled, eluding initial attempts to capture him. Despite an intensive search operation in the area, the assailant initially managed to escape.

At the crime scene, officers recovered two spent 9mm cartridges and a Czeska pistol magazine loaded with four rounds of ammunition.

Investigations are ongoing as police pursue leads to establish the full circumstances behind the fatal shooting and determine the roles played by each of the suspects.