Family suspects cover-up after top cop Nicholas Aguk Oballa killed in presidential convoy incident

The family of a chief inspector of police who died on duty on February 7 has decried the lack of investigations into his death.

Chief Inspector Nicholas Aguk Oballa, the base commander at Embakasi Police Station, reportedly passed away as he was working to facilitate the presidential convoy at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).

According to the family, he was knocked down by a defiant motorist as he was ushering the presidential entourage into the VIP wing of the airport.

His family alleges that the entire presidential motorcade harshly and inconsiderately passed the injured officer, who had been hit by a defiant driver.

"Where the base commander is stationed to usher the president as the last man into the airport, there is a police rider in between. So this defiant vehicle defied the order of the first police officer,” said Inspector Oballa's cousin Dixon Mbori Aomo.

“As the rider in between, Mzee, by instinct, I'm imagining he felt that this guy was going to create some chaos in the motorcade. So then he went into the road to stop this vehicle, which allegedly ran over him and went. In our understanding, that is a guarded area with CCTV cameras.”

The family says no details of the vehicle nor its occupants have been disclosed for four weeks now.

"We are worried as a family that in a presidential motorcade, where we have an officer who has served for close to 30 years, such an accident would take place without noticing the vehicle that was involved and, secondly, without anybody bothering to at least check on what had happened so that keen and immediate attention could be given to the victim,” Inspector Oballa's son Vickins Bondo stated.

Aomo added, "When we demanded an explanation, we were told that the CCTV cameras were showing blurred images."

The apparent inaction by the relevant departments has raised suspicions of a potential cover-up.

"That he was ridden into the hospital without his trousers. He was in full combat, but only the top; he was in his inner pants. The trousers were allegedly taken off—I don't know for what reason. When we went to the police station to clear his possessions, we were told that they had washed the trousers, taken them to a laundry, and we were given all his uniforms already cleaned,” Aomo stated.

"There is some cover-up in this accident. We are not seeing clarity; we are not seeing any report given to us, and that is what is bringing a lot of suspicion in the family—that maybe somebody knew what was happening. So, there needs to be clarity on whether there was a conspiracy to eliminate him from his workplace. And if there was no conspiracy, then the Embakasi Police Station, traffic headquarters, and all relevant security apparatus should be able to explain to the family what exactly transpired."

So far, the Director of Public Prosecutions, together with the Inspector General, have confirmed receipt of the complaint, with a requiem mass set to be conducted at the Nairobi Central SDA Church.

The family of Chief Inspector Nicholas Aguk Oballa faces a dilemma of whether to push for an expedited investigation or to mourn their loss with unanswered questions lingering.