Trial against Five Changamwe cops accused of murder set to begin

The case involving five police officers charged with the murder of Caleb Esipino Otieno is set for pretrial next week.

Khalif Abdulahi Sagat, James Muli Koti, Joseph Odhiambo Sirawa, Edward Kongo Onchonga and Nelson Nkanae are accused of killing Otieno alias Waingo, who was in custody at Changamwe Police Station, Mombasa in 2018.

The prosecution, led by Peris Maina and Dela Wilbey, has equipped itself with 17 witnesses, whom it hopes will assist the High Court find justice for Otieno’s family.

According to the Office of The Director of Public Prosecutions, Otieno was arrested on September 18, 2018 in a den selling illegally brewed alcohol. He was booked at the police station at 19:58 hours and temporarily removed at 22:45 hours to be taken to hospital, where he died while undergoing treatment.

The police officers in their statement said Otieno had developed a sudden medical condition, but his family challenged this.

A report by KBC however pointed out that an autopsy conducted on the deceased revealed that he passed away as a result of multiple injuries (head, upper cervical spine, chest and subcutaneous due to blunt force trauma.).

The DPP, Noordin Haji, approved the charges against the five police officers after finding that matters he had raised with the Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA), which investigated the matter, had been covered.

The pre-trial will commence on Thursday, October 13, 2022.

Missing Voices hopes that this trial will help Otieno’s family find justice for their kin.

We reiterate our strong condemnation of enforced disappearances and police killings.