By Abdinoor Ali
The High Court in Garissa has today sentenced two police officers to 10 years in prison for the death of Abdia Adan in Rhamu Mandera County.
Lady Justice Abdida Ali-Aroni, while meting out the sentence noted that the court weighed all relevant factors including that the action of the accused persons caused a major loss death.
The Court also noted that while section 205 of the penal code stipulates that offenders are liable to life imprisonment, the court has discretion on the punishment.
The convicts Denis Langat and Kennedy Okuli were initially arraigned for murder but the court commuted the charge to manslaughter after considering the circumstances surrounding the shooting including public mayhem that occurred during the incident.
The duo were found guilty in July this year after their was case was investigated by the Independent Policing and Oversight Authority ( IPOA).
Abdinasir Adan Lawyer and Founder of Northern Advocacy organization a local NGO committed to defend, protect and uphold human rights in northern Kenya welcomed the court’s decision.
“The two police officers are who were convicted for Killing mama ABDIA OMAR have been sentenced to 10 years by High Court in Garissa today. This a historic moment in Northern Kenya, it is the first ever case from the region to see perpetrators of Extrajudicial killing jailed” Abdinasir said in a tweet.
The two police officers are who were convicted for Killing mama ABDIA OMAR have been sentenced to 10 years by High Court in Garissa today. This a historic moment in Northern Kenya, it is the first ever case from the region to see perpetrators of Extrajudicial killing jailed
— Nassir Adan (@Counsel_Nassir) November 4, 2021
Abdia was killed on November 10, 2018 by the officers from the Rhamu Police Station while attempting to arrest her son for allegedly peddling drugs.