The Kiambu Law Courts on Monday ordered that Police Constable Erick Gitonga Nyaga remain in custody pending a ruling on an application by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), which is seeking 21 days to detain him for investigations.

Deputy Registrar Jackline Karani directed that Nyaga be held at Kiambu Police Station until Tuesday, September 9, 2025 when the court will deliver its decision at 3 p.m.

Nyaga was arraigned over allegations of fatally shooting two boda boda riders, Kennedy Ojuma, 38, and Stephen Mwenda, 39, along the Thika–Garissa Highway on Sunday, September 8, 2025.

According to IPOA’s Assistant Director of Forensics, Paul Njehia, the incident occurred after Nyaga’s black Audi collided with a motorbike, sparking chaos as riders confronted him and torched his vehicle. 

Njehia told the court that Nyaga appeared intoxicated and opened fire during the confrontation, killing the two men instantly.

Nyaga was arrested shortly after and booked at Thika Police Station. His firearm—a Duma pistol, serial number D09220515 and ammunition were recovered as exhibits.

In its application, IPOA asked the court to allow Nyaga’s detention for 21 days to facilitate ballistic analysis of the weapon, postmortems on the deceased, witness statements, and further scene reconstruction.

However, Nyaga’s lawyer, Philip Langat, opposed the request, arguing that the Constitution requires suspects to be charged within 24 hours unless compelling reasons are provided.

He maintained that IPOA could conduct postmortems and scene visits without keeping his client in custody, stressing that Nyaga had not interfered with investigations and was willing to cooperate while out on bail.

Langat further requested that Nyaga’s clothes from the day of the shooting be preserved as defence exhibits. He also asked that, should the court grant the detention request, his client be held at Gigiri Police Station, citing security concerns.

The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) supported IPOA’s position, telling the court that Nyaga was not “an ordinary civilian” but a licensed firearm holder whose release could compromise investigations.

The court will deliver its ruling on IPOA’s application on Tuesday afternoon.