Seven More Days In Remand For Officers Charged In Mukuru Killing
News Updated: 18 February 2026 18:19 EAT
Two police officers charged with the murder of a Nairobi youth will remain in custody for seven more days after the High Court deferred plea-taking pending completion of a mental assessment report.
Sergeant Godwin Mjomba and Assistant Police Constable Patrick Mutunga are accused of killing 20-year-old Shukri Adan Ibrahim Isaac in January this year. The two officers were presented before the Milimani High Court where they were expected to take plea on murder charges.
The court heard that the plea could not proceed after it emerged that a mental fitness evaluation had not yet been finalised and filed. The assessment is required before the accused can formally respond to the charges.
Investigations into the fatal shooting were conducted by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority, which subsequently forwarded its findings to the prosecution. The watchdog agency recommended criminal charges following completion of its probe.
The Director of Public Prosecutions reviewed the investigation file and approved murder charges against the two officers. They have remained in custody since their arraignment as the case proceeds through pre-trial stages.
According to court filings, the incident occurred on January 11 in Mukuru Kwa Njenga after police officers intercepted three young men following a reported traffic accident. Prosecutors allege that the victim was shot in the head during the confrontation.
A post-mortem examination presented to investigators indicated that the cause of death was a penetrating gunshot wound to the head. The findings form a central pillar of the prosecution’s case as it prepares for trial.
The mental assessment ordered by the court is being conducted at Kenyatta National Hospital. The report will determine whether the accused officers are fit to stand trial before plea-taking can proceed.
Presiding judge Martin Muya directed that the assessment be expedited and the report filed without delay. The matter will be mentioned again after seven days for further directions.
In the meantime, the two officers will continue to be held at Industrial Area Remand Prison. The court declined to vary their custodial status pending compliance with its earlier orders.
The case has attracted heightened public attention amid broader scrutiny of police conduct and accountability. Once the mental evaluation is submitted and plea taken, the court is expected to set timelines for pre-trial disclosures and hearing dates in what is shaping up to be a closely watched murder trial.
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FELIX MAKONA
FACT FINDER AND DATA DRIVEN JOURNALIST. DATA MINING AT IT'S BEST. GET FACTS RANGING FROM MATTERS DISABILITY AND INCLUSION, POLITICS, ECONOMY, SPORTS AND GENERAL NEWS AROUND THE WORLD