A police constable, Bernard Koome, from the Special Police Intercept and Verification (SPIV) unit was tragically shot dead on Wednesday evening in Thika West Sub-county after a routine motorcycle inspection escalated into fatal violence.

Eyewitnesses recounted a harrowing scene. The officer, part of a four-person patrol, stopped a rider whose motorcycle lacked the mandatory unique registration code for Thika’s boda boda operators.

“When one of the officers removed the bike’s ignition key, an argument flared up,” stated Peter Kariuki, a witness. The rider, who was reportedly eating a pineapple, then overpowered the constable, drew a firearm, and shot him in the throat.

The suddenness of the attack caught the other officers off guard, forcing them to take cover and allowing the assailant to escape.

The gunman then brazenly hijacked another motorcycle near Royale Hotel, ordering the rider and his passenger off at gunpoint before speeding away.

He later abandoned the stolen bike near the famous Mugumo tree, leaving behind a loaded magazine recovered by crime scene investigators.

The wounded officer was rushed to Thika Nursing Home but sadly succumbed to his injuries. Thika DCIO Jacinta Mbaika confirmed the fatal shooting, assuring the public that detectives are actively pursuing the assailant and a comprehensive statement will be issued upon completion of preliminary investigations.

SPIV officers regularly inspect motorcycles to enforce the official identification code, a crucial measure introduced to combat a rise in robberies perpetrated by criminals posing as boda boda riders.

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