Senior Kenyan Police Officer Shot Dead After Attacking Magistrate in Court

In Summary

• Senior police officer Samson Kipchirchir Kipruto shot Magistrate Monica Kivuti in a Nairobi courtroom.
• Other officers shot and killed Kipruto; three officers were injured.
• The attack followed the cancellation of bail for Kipruto's wife, who had absconded.
• The judiciary promises enhanced security measures and wishes a quick recovery for the injured magistrate.

DETAILS

Nairobi, Kenya- A senior Kenyan police officer was shot dead after he opened fire at a magistrate in court in the capital, Nairobi. The chief inspector, identified as Samson Kipchirchir Kipruto, was angered by the court's decision to cancel his wife's bail after she had absconded. Kipruto, who was in charge of a police station in Londiani in western Kenya, pulled out a gun and shot Makadara Principal Magistrate Monica Kivuti, injuring her.

Other officers in court responded immediately, with one of them shooting and killing Kipruto. In the process, three other officers were injured, according to a police report. The magistrate and the injured officers are being treated in the hospital.

The judiciary said the magistrate had "canceled the bond for an accused person who had jumped bond and had failed to offer satisfactory explanations for jumping bond." "Immediately this decision was pronounced, a person shot at the magistrate and injured her on the hip,” it said in a statement. Initial reports indicated that the shooter was a police officer married to the suspect.

The national police service said the officer was in court for "unknown reasons." Investigations are continuing to establish the circumstances that led to the shooting. The incident inside a courtroom has come as a shock to Kenyans, as the police have often been accused of being involved in extrajudicial killings, but no such incident has been reported inside court.

The judiciary has said it will enhance security measures and has assured judicial staff and other court users of their safety and security. "As the judiciary family, we wish our colleague a quick recovery. We also send our condolences to the family of the officer who lost his life in this unfortunate incident,” said chief registrar of the judiciary Winfridah Mokaya.