A Bungoma Court on Friday, August 23, 2024, sentenced six individuals to 15 years imprisonment for an offence of robbery with violence.
Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) in a statement issued via X platform said Bungoma Law Courts Principal Magistrate Tom Orlando had sentenced the six after they were all found guilty.
Victim killed
The court heard that the accused persons robbed Michael Gacheche alias Cheche of Ksh2,005,000 on the evening of June 8, 2020, outside the Keringet Hotel in Bungoma town.
The six are Milton Makuma, John Wakwale, Brian Ochieng, Dennis Andoli, Emmanuel Watiti, and Patrick Omia.
ODPP says one person who is an accomplice of the six is still on the run.
They are said to have attacked and shot dead the victim who was inside his car and fled with the money on a standby motorcycle.
“Bungoma Law Courts Principal Magistrate Hon. Tom Orlando has sentenced six accused persons including two Ugandans to 15 years imprisonment for the offence of robbery with violence.
“The six; Milton Makuma, John Wakwale, Brian Ochieng, Dennis Andoli, Emmanuel Watiti, and Patrick Omia with another on the run robbed Mr. Michael Gacheche alias Cheche of Ksh. 2,005,000 on the evening of 8th June 2020 outside the Keringet Hotel in Bungoma town. The court heard that the six attacked and shot dead the victim who was inside his car and fled with the money on a standby motorcycle,” the ODPP said in the statement.
While delivering the sentence, the court ruled that the Prosecution through Ayekha Shakwila had proved the case beyond reasonable doubt through testimonies from 18 prosecution witnesses that saw all the accused found guilty, convicted, and sentenced accordingly.
ODPP on suspects’ escape
According to ODPP, the person that is still on the run had initially been arrested together with the six that have been sentenced.
The National Prosecution Authority says seven suspects had been arrested over the unfortunate incident, but two of them escaped from police custody, before the officers managed to rearrest Dennis Andoli who was trying to run to Uganda.
Andoli was trying to cross to Uganda with his accomplice John Wanyonyi Wamalwa who managed to enter the neighbouring country has since remained at large.
“Initially, all seven suspects were arrested but two escaped while in police custody at Bungoma Police station, however, Dennis Andoli was rearrested while attempting to cross the Kenya – Uganda border with John Wanyonyi Wamalwa still at large to date,” the ODPP stated.
However, cases of suspects escaping from police custody are not new, with the latest being an incident that saw 13 detainees including Collins Jumaisi who is suspected to have been involved in the murder of women whose bodies were found in Kware, escape from Gigiri Police Station.
