Following a guilty verdict against a former police officer who fatally shot a teacher in Kakamega, the High Court yesterday sent him to prison for the rest of his life.
Sitting in Kakamega, Justice W. Musyoka on January 20, established that Patrick Oita Nyapara murdered Ms. Christine Maonga at Navakholo, Kakamega County, after he shot her in the head.
She was a teacher who together during happier days prior to the incident, were in a relationship in which a baby girl was born.
And in confining him to a life behind bars, the Judge noted that the role of a police officer is to “secure the community however the accused breached the same trust.”
When the unfortunate incident happened, on March 14, 2019, the Judge also observed that the convicted officer was in charge of the armoury at the local police station.
But the officer grabbed a firearm form the armoury which he did not indicate in the arms movement book but walked to Ms. Maonga’s home, and shot her in the head.
Prior to the incident, Nyapara and Maonga were in a relationship that culminated to the birth of a baby girl, who was three at the time of the incident and is now aged seven years.
The Independent Policing Oversight Authority opened an investigation into the incident which also drew a probe by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations.
Prior to sentencing, Nyapara had pleaded with the Court to show leniency, saying he was a first offender and remorseful.
He added that he was the sole bread winner of his family – a wife, children and an ailing mother – and also, he wished to reconcile with Ms. Maonga’s family.
The prayer for leniency was countered by Ms. Maonga’s family as well as the Director of Public Prosecutions who both called for a deterrent sentence – A Life In Penitentiary.
Read the court case story that culminated into the sentencing.