"He was quiet, disciplined" - Father to slain gang member wants justice for his son

The father to one of the suspected robbers that were killed under unclear circumstances on March 12, 2023 following a robbery at Unaitas Sacco Mununga branch, Murang'a County, want a thorough investigation conducted to reveal who killed his son.

Francis Kang’ethe, 63, said his son Joseph Kamau should have been taken through the normal justice system after his arrest instead of being killed.

He said he was watching the news when he saw reports that his son had been arrested before he lost his life.

Dismissed in police force

Kang'ethe says his son served as an administration police officer since 2017 and was given a summary dismissal after he deserted duty last year.

Since then, the father says Kamau did odd jobs to support his wife and two children.

He described him as a quiet man who grew up as a disciplined boy who did not like disagreeing with people.

The community where he grew up in Ruiru, the father said, knew him as a respectable man and is still in shock following his death.

He called on the government to investigate what led to his death and appropriate action taken on those who nipped his young life.

Kamau was killed alongside another man who is yet to be identified following the robbery perpetrated on Saturday that saw the Sacco lose KSh4 million according to Central Region Police Commander Lydia Ligami.

Ligami said the gang had stolen a gun from a police officer during the robbery and another gun from a traffic police officer two weeks before.

Both guns, she said, were recovered at the scene.

Public uproar

The two men’s death caused an uproar from Kenyans after Directorate of Criminal Investigations made a post on their social media forums indicating that the two suspects had been arrested.

The post was later deleted and another one made that indicated that they had been killed in a shoot out.

Central Region Commissioner Fredrick Shisia however defended police officers saying the two were killed by gunmen as they took police officers to where they were hiding the guns.