Police officer who killed 10 ‘while pursuing unfaithful girlfriend’ to serve 20 years in jail

Peter Karanja, an administration police officer who fatally shot ten people in Siakago, Embu County nine years ago, has been sentenced to 20 years in jail.

On November 6, 2010 Karanja, who had been deployed to guard the then-Mbeere North district commissioner’s residence, randomly fired bullets, killing Anthony Mwaniki, Frida Ng’endo, Kenwin Muthomi, Agostino Kinyua, George Ng’ang’a, Domisiano Muchira, Ephantus Munyi, Rachel Muthoni, Wilfred Gitonga and Fredrick Okwako. Gitonga and Okwako were Karanja’s colleagues.

The court was told that while at his work station, Karanja was informed that his girlfriend had been spotted flirting with other men in one of the bars in Siakago.

At 11:30pm on November 6, the cop excused himself, telling his colleagues that he was going to answer the call of nature.

It was then that he walked a kilometer to the bar where he believed his partner was flirting with other men, and randomly fired at revellers, killing most of them on the spot. Karanja visited other bars in the vicinity and continued to engage in the horrendous shooting spree.

The court was told that Karanja only stopped spraying bullets the moment he learnt he had run out of ammunition.

Karanja, thereafter, surrendered himself to the police after getting wind that he was being tracked down.

And, on Thursday, December 5, Embu High Court judge Florence Muchemi sentenced Karanja to 20 years in jail for each of the ten deaths that he caused. The judge, however, ruled that the sentences will run concurrently.

Karanja’s lawyer, Victor Andande, requested Justice Muchemi to give his client a non-custodial sentence, saying Karanja was remorseful, and suffered a terminal illness.

Andande also sought to have Karanja serve only ten years in prison because he had been in custody since 2010. The judge directed Andande to make his second request in writing and have it submitted through the formal channels.

While reading her verdict, Justice Muchemi said the prosecution proved beyond any reasonable doubt that Karanja killed his ten victims, who had not provoked him in any way.

The judge declined to give Karanja a non-custodial sentence, saying she wanted Karanja’s punishment to send a stern warning to people who are intending to commit a similar offence.

The convict has 14 days to appeal against the ruling.

When the ruling was being read Thursday, Karanja, who was in the dock, listened keenly.

After the judge finished reading the verdict, the convict was bundled into a holding cell in the court awaiting to be transferred to prison.