The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has confirmed the arrest of a police officer linked to the fatal shooting of a Kitale National Polytechnic student, as investigations into the incident intensify.
According to IPOA, the officer was apprehended following the death of 22-year-old Dalphine Mwangi, who sustained a gunshot wound to the head during an encounter with police officers in Kitale, Trans Nzoia County, on October 21, 2025. Mwangi was initially taken to Kijana Wamalwa Hospital before being transferred to Top Hill Hospital in Eldoret, where she succumbed to her injuries three days later.
Preliminary findings indicate that the incident occurred at dawn at Norec Shopping Centre, where Mwangi and her friends were playing pool. It is alleged that the officer, identified as a constable attached to Kitale Police Station, drew his firearm and shot the student at close range before fleeing on a motorcycle. Police officers responding to the scene later recovered two spent 9mm cartridges and a bullet head near the pool hall.
Following the incident, IPOA launched a swift investigation after being notified by the National Police Service on October 22, 2025. The arrested officer was presented before the court and detained at Kimalel Police Station pending the completion of the probe.
Investigators have since visited the crime scene, recorded statements from witnesses and fellow officers, and collected documentary and forensic evidence to reconstruct the sequence of events that led to the student’s death. The authority stated that the inquiry has made significant progress and assured the public that justice will be served once the findings are finalized.
IPOA emphasized its commitment to ensuring accountability and transparency in law enforcement, reiterating that any officer found culpable will face appropriate legal action. The authority further urged the public to remain calm as it completes the investigation, promising that the case will be concluded expeditiously and its recommendations made public.
