Thugs in Uniform? Police Officers Arrested in Alleged Robbery Scheme

Eight police officers in Kisumu County have been arrested following a violent robbery involving businessman Elvis Musyoka and the subsequent disappearance of key evidence from a police station.

Mr Musyoka was attacked on the night of 7 September while driving to his home in Matungulu. The assault began after a staged road collision with a motorcycle, during which he was beaten, forced to transfer money via mobile phone, and his Toyota Land Cruiser was stolen. 

He later spent two weeks in intensive care as a result of his injuries. Three days after the incident, a vehicle matching the description of Mr Musyoka’s was located abandoned in Maseno, Kisumu County. The car, found without number plates and with visible blood stains, was towed to Maseno Police Station for forensic examination. 

However, the vehicle went missing from the station later that same night, an act investigators now believe was facilitated by police officers. The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), through its Operation Support Unit led by Deputy Head Jackson Owino, launched a targeted investigation into the matter. 

Preliminary findings suggest three officers at Maseno Police Station were involved in the vehicle’s removal, while another three are suspected of direct involvement in Mr Musyoka’s attack and at least three similar robberies in the Joska area of Machakos County. Two additional officers are believed to have assisted in transporting the stolen vehicle, potentially interfering with ongoing investigations.

Ballistic tests are being conducted on firearms recovered from the police station to determine if they were used in the Musyoka case or related robberies. Forensic analysis is also underway to establish links between the suspects and the various crime scenes. 

However, investigators have not yet confirmed whether the officers were present during the Joska incidents. Mr Musyoka is expected to participate in an identification parade once he has fully recovered. His account is considered crucial to confirming the identities of those involved in the attack.