A police officer assigned to protect Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa has been charged with murder after allegedly shooting a fellow officer during a bar altercation in Ruaraka.
Ezekiel Kipkoech Tarus appeared before Justice James Wakiaga at Milimani Court on Tuesday, where prosecutors formally charged him with the murder of Raphael Kimuli Wambua, a police officer attached to the Central Bank of Kenya.
Prosecutors stated that Wambua was at Wasafi Bar on the night of February 23, 2025, watching a football match and drinking with his brother, Erick Ngolania Wambua, a GSU officer. As they left the bar around 1:20 a.m., Tarus allegedly confronted them and shot Wambua dead with his Jericho pistol, serial number 44338440.
A chaotic scene followed, with an angry mob attacking Tarus before officers from Ruaraka Police Station intervened. They rescued him and rushed him to Kenyatta National Hospital for treatment.
Tarus’ defense attorneys, Danstan Omari and Shadrack Wambui, requested bail, arguing that he posed no flight risk and would adhere to court instructions.
Initially, the prosecution sought a 14-day detention for further investigation, but the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) decided to proceed with the murder charges.
Tarus pleaded not guilty and was granted a Ksh.500,000 cash bail, with a surety of the same amount. The court also imposed a ban on him contacting witnesses and ordered him to report to the investigating officer every Thursday.
His trial is scheduled to start on May 20, 2025.