A police officer is set to face murder charges after a student he allegedly shot in an altercation succumbed to his injuries while receiving treatment at a hospital in Eldoret.
The deceased, identified as 22-year-old Dalphia Mwangi, a student at Kitale Polytechnic, was shot in the stomach on October 22, 2025, following a confrontation at Norec Shopping Centre. The incident occurred at a pool table site where Mwangi and his friends were playing in the early hours of the morning.
According to witnesses, the officer, who is attached to a local police station, engaged in an argument with the student before drawing his firearm and shooting him at close range. After the shooting, the officer allegedly fled the scene on a motorcycle, leaving the young man critically injured.
Police officers who later arrived at the scene recovered two spent 9mm cartridges and a bullet head near the pool table shop, as well as visible blood stains. Mwangi was initially taken to Kijana Wamalwa Referral Hospital in critical condition before being transferred to Top Hill Hospital in Eldoret, where he succumbed to his injuries two days later.
The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) launched an investigation into the incident and arrested the officer after witnesses identified him during an identification parade conducted at Kitale Police Station. IPOA sought and obtained permission from the magistrate’s court in Kitale to detain the suspect for ten days as investigations continued.
Initially, the case was being investigated as a shooting incident, but following Mwangi’s death, it was upgraded to murder. The officer will now face murder charges once investigations are concluded and the file is forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
Police officials have described the incident as isolated, emphasizing that it should not reflect the conduct of the entire service. They added that mechanisms are in place to ensure accountability and justice in such cases.
The tragic death of Mwangi has reignited public concern over the increasing number of cases involving police officers misusing their firearms. Authorities have acknowledged that stress and trauma within the police service continue to contribute to such incidents, calling for strengthened oversight and better mental health support for officers.
