A police officer assigned to the VIP protection unit of Safaricom’s CEO has been charged with murder following the fatal shooting of a fellow officer in Ruaraka.
Ezekiel Kipkoech Tarus appeared before Justice James Wakiaga at the Milimani Court on Tuesday, where he was formally charged with the murder of Raphael Kimuli Wambua, a police officer attached to the Central Bank of Kenya.
According to the prosecution, on the night of February 23, 2025, Wambua had been at Wasafi Bar watching football and drinking with his brother, Erick Ngolania Wambua, who is stationed at the GSU headquarters.
As they left the bar around 1:20 a.m., an altercation occurred, during which Tarus allegedly fired his Jericho pistol, serial number 44338440, fatally injuring Wambua.
Following the incident, an angry mob attacked the accused before police officers from Ruaraka police station arrived and took him to Kenyatta National Hospital for treatment.
Through his lawyers, Danstan Omari and Shadrack Wambui, Tarus sought bail, arguing that he posed no flight risk and would comply with all court directives.
The prosecution had initially sought to hold him for 14 days to allow for further investigations, but after a review, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) directed that he be formally charged with murder.
Appearing before Justice Wakiaga, Tarus denied the charges and was granted a cash bail of Ksh. 500,000, with a surety of the same amount.
The court ordered him not to contact any witnesses and to report to the investigating officer every Thursday until the case is concluded.
The hearing is set for May 20, 2025.