Cop Edwin Okimaru pleads not guilty to brutal murder of matatu conductor

Police constable Edwin Oscar Okimaru was on Wednesday arraigned over the murder of a matatu conductor – Joshua Mungai – in Ongata Rongai.

Also Read: Police officer arrested over brutal murder of matatu conductor detained over curfew violation

He is accused of committing the offense on the night of 18-19 April 2021 in Olekasasi together with others not in court.

The accused who was represented by advocates Lydia Abuya and Emmanuel Mwangi at the Machakos Law Courts pleaded not guilty.

His lawyers requested for reasonable bail terms saying the accused has been in remand for 18 days and it would be unfair to ask for more time.

Justice George Odunga directed that they appear in court on June 7 for bond/bail terms.

The police officer, who is based in Marsabit County, was arrested on May 15, 2021.

“Police Constable Edwin Oscar Okimaru was arrested last night after intensive investigations involving the DCI Homicide branch, Cybercrime and Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau, forensically placed him at the scene of the gruesome murder,” the DCI said in a statement.

According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), on April 18th last month at around 10pm, the deceased alongside two others only identified as Njenga and George, were arrested for violating curfew orders. The three were assaulted before being bundled into the trunk of a private car.

“In our findings that involved investigative interviewing of eye witnesses, forensic autopsy analysis by Chief Government Pathologist Dr Johansen Oduor and combing of the scene, the detectives indeed concluded that the suspect was at the scene of the murder, in the fateful night,” says the DCI.

The victims are then reported to have been driven to Tuala bridge area where they were dumped.

“Miraculously, George who had been tied up using a rope managed to free himself, before rescuing to safety the deceased and Njenga who had been badly assaulted,” added the DCI.

“George then managed to hail a boda boda rider who was riding past and together, they helped the deceased who couldn’t walk, on the motorbike. However, they couldn’t assist the deceased to hospital, for fear of coming across the two suspects who had beaten them senseless.”

George and Njenga are then reported to have limped to different directions, leaving the deceased close to Nazarene University.

“Luckily the following morning, a good samaritan assisted the deceased to Ongata Rongai health center, where he received first aid before being transferred to Kenyatta National Hospital, in critical condition. Unfortunately, two days later Joshua passed away while undergoing treatment. Forensic analysis later conducted, indeed concurred with eye witnesses accounts that the deceased died as a result of chest injuries due to blunt trauma,” reads the statement.

The deceased is said to have suffered broken ribs and bones, in what detectives believe he was tortured to death.